Alfred Leonard Cline (March 12, 1888 – August 5, 1948), known as The Buttermilk Bluebeard, was an alleged American serial killer responsible for murdering at least nine people.[1]
Alfred Leonard Cline | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 12, 1888 Frederick, Kansas, U.S. |
| Died | August 5, 1948 (aged 60) Folsom Prison, Folsom, California, U.S. |
| Other names | "The Buttermilk Bluebeard" |
| Conviction(s) | Forgery |
| Criminal penalty | 126 years imprisonment |
| Details | |
| Victims | 0–9 |
Span of crimes | 1930–1945 |
| Country | United States |
| State(s) | California, Nevada, Texas, Massachusetts, Colorado |
Date apprehended | 1945 |
Biography
editCline was born on March 12, 1888, in Frederick, Kansas. He was never convicted of murders, as no supporting evidence was found. He married women of status, convinced them to will their possessions to his name, and persuaded them to drink a glass of poisoned buttermilk that contained powerful sedatives.[1] After a fatal dose of drugs, a local doctor would issue a death certificate citing the cause of death to be heart failure.[2]
Cline cremated his later wives to hide any evidence of murder.[2] He acquired over $82,000 in possessions from eight of his wives.[1] Cline was prosecuted for a murder charge, but jailed for forgery. He was sentenced to 126 years in Folsom Prison, California. Cline died of a heart attack in the prison on August 5, 1948.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "Crime: Buttermilk Bluebeard". Time. 1946-05-06. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
- ^ a b "People v. Cline". Justia Law. Retrieved 2017-11-27.
- ^ Hall, Susan (2020). The World Encyclopedia of Serial Killers: Volume One, A–D. WildBlue Press. ISBN 9781952225031.