Barbara Graham

“	Good people are always so sure they're right	”
	— Graham's last words

Barbara Graham a.k.a. Bloody Babs is a convicted murderer executed for the robbery-murder of Mabel Monahan with accomplices on March 9, 1953, making her one of the first women to be executed by gas chamber in California.

Background[]

Barbara Elaine Ford was born to sex worker Hortense Ford, the first of her two daughters. She married Joseph Wood, Sr., and had a son, Joseph Wood, Jr., bot Joseph, Sr., died before Joseph, Jr., was born. When Hortense was arrested and sent to reform school, Graham was sent into the foster sister, where she was beaten and neglected. Graham's mother refused to take her in when she turned 21, so she was raised by both relatives and strangers. She was sentenced to the same reform school as Hortense was sent to for vagrancy. Graham married U.S. Coast Guardsman Harry Kielhamer in 1940, but they divorced in 1942, and Graham lost custody of her two sons. After two more failed marriages, Graham dropped out of business college and went into prostitution, specifically around naval bases. Graham soon affiliated with ex-cons and career criminals through working under madam Sally Sanford and forming ties to gambling and drug networks. She served five years at California Women's State Prison for perjury, then moved to Nevada for hospital and diner work. Returning to California and working in prostitution from Hollywood Boulevard, Graham married Henry Graham, a bartender and drug-addicted career criminal, in 1953, having her third son Tommy with him. She met his affiliates and started an affair with one, Emmett "The Weasel" Perkins.

Perkins knew retired vaudeville performer Mabel Monahan, who was also the former mother-in-law of casino owner and mobster Luther B. Scherer. Monahan lived in her daughter Iris' former home she kept after divorce, and as it was rumored Scherer entrusted Monahan with $100,000 in a safe in the house, the Grahams and their affiliates were eager to make that easy score. Barbara was brought on because Monahan would be more trusting of a woman to open the door to her home, and the rest of the group consisted of Henry, Perkins, Jack Santo, John True, and safe cracker Baxter Shorter. They formed a plan the day before Monahan's murder, while eating out in the San Fernando Valley.

Murders, Trials, and Executions[]

"Oh, have you ever been desperate? Do you know what it means not to know what to do?"
- Graham at trial

On March 9, 1953, Barbara went to Monahan's door in the evening, lying she had car trouble and needed to use Monahan's phone. When Monahan opened the door, the group pushed their way in, bound and gagged Monahan, and trashed the home for the money. Barbara handed a pistol to Perkins and ordered him to knock Monahan unconscious, but Shorter stopped him and made True take out the gag so Monahan could breathe. Barbara took the pistol herself and beat Monahan with it, leaving her bleeding on the floor. Shorted called for emergency help on a pay phone, but he gave the wrong address, and Monahan died at the scene, her gardener finding her two days later. The entire group missed a purse in the closet with $15,000 worth of jewels, and Iris put out a $5,000 reward for answers on her mother's murder.

Shorter was one of five men, including three affiliates of gangster Mickey Cohan, who was arrested on suspicion. Shorter didn't want the death penalty, so he turned state's evidence, but his cooperation was leaked to the papers. After Shorter was released, Santo and Perkins abducted and shot him. William Upshaw, who was in the car while the group surveyed the house, came forward and provided his account, along with him backing out of the plan because he didn't want Scherer to kill him. John True gave his testimony in exchange for immunity and pointed the finger at Graham, who the press dubbed "Bloody Babs". Her defense was destroyed when an undercover cop caught her bribing for a fake alibi, and an inmate wanting a reduced sentence also sold her out. The cop recorded her confession during the sting, and her previous perjury conviction left her defense collapsed.

Graham, Santo, and Perkins were all sentenced to death. Graham's appeals failed, and although Graham's execution was stayed by a couple hours on the day she was scheduled to die, she died by the gas chamber on June 3, 1955. She requested a blindfold to not see the audience, and she's buried in Mount Olive Cemetery in San Rafael. Graham's execution has long set the debate on capital punishment on fire in the United States. IN regards to the case's publicity, the film I Want to Live!, inspired by Graham, was released in 1958, Susan Hayward winning the Oscar for Best Actress after portraying Graham.

Accomplices[]

Henry Graham
- Graham's husband, a bartender, drug addict, and repeat offender.
- Introduced graham to the majority of the rest of the group.
Emmett "The Weasel" Perkins
- Had an affair with Graham; was her strongest support in hiring her for the robbery.
- ordered by Graham to pistol-whip Monahan, but stopped by Baxter Shorter.
- Killed Shorter with Jack Santo's help when Shorter was turning state's evidence.
- Sentenced to death along with Graham and Santo.
Jack Santo
- Abducted and shot Baxter Shorter with Emmett Perkins' help for turning state's evidence.
- Sentenced to death along with Graham and Perkins.
Baxter Shorter
- Professional safe cracker; least supportive of Graham's presence on the team.
- The least violent of the group; placed a call to emergency services on a payphone to try and save Monahan, but gave the wrong address.
- Turned state's evidence to avoid the death penalty.
- Abducted and shot by Santo and Perkins to silence him.
John True
- Requested immunity in exchange for his testimony.
- The primary accuser of Graham for Monahan's murder.
William Upshaw
- Ex-con
- Originally participated with scouting Monahan's home with the group; backed out from fearing retribution from Scherer.
- Went to the police and testified after Shorter was murdered.

Modus Operandi[]

Graham and her accomplices targeted Monahan for the purpose of robbery. After Graham lied her way in by saying she needed a phone, the group bound and gagged Monahan, before Graham started bludgeoning her with a pistol. Monahan was left for dead and died of her injuries. When the group found out Baxter was turning state's evidence, he was abducted and shot by Santo and Perkins.

Known Victims[]

Mabel Monahan (bound, gagged, and fatally pistol-whipped)
Baxter Shorter (abducted and shot by Jack Santo and Emmett Perkins)

On Criminal Minds[]

While never directly mentioned or referenced in the franchise, Graham appears to be the inspiration for the following unsubs:

Season Seven
- Chloe Donaghy ("It Takes a Village") - Both are female murderers targeting elderly women in home invasions, killed them by bludgeoning, worked with accomplices, one of their accomplices was killed as a liability (though while Donaghy directly killed them, Graham's accomplices killed their dead partner), and died as a consequence of their crimes (Donaghy was killed in a shootout, Graham was executed).
Season Twelve
- Bea Adams ("Seek and Destroy") - Both are female murderers and proxy murderers targeting victims in home invasions, worked with accomplices, gained entry with ruses, killed one of their accomplices (indirectly in Graham's case), and were arrested with the rest of their living accomplices.