EXTREMELY SENSITIVE CONTENT – 18+ ONLY:
This article discusses sensitive historical events related to serial killings and capital punishment in the United States, including acts of violence and execution. The content is presented for educational purposes only, to foster understanding of the past and encourage reflection on how societies can prevent similar crimes in the future. It does not endorse or glorify any form of violence or extremism.
Margie Velma Barfield, born Margie Velma Bullard on October 29, 1932, in South Carolina, was an American serial killer convicted of one murder but linked to seven poisonings using arsenic, often targeting elderly or ill individuals she cared for to steal money or drugs amid her addiction struggles. Sentenced to death for the 1978 murder of her fiancé Stuart Taylor, Barfield became the first woman executed in the U.S. after the 1976 reinstatement of capital punishment (via Gregg v. Georgia) and the first since 1962. On November 2, 1984, at age 52, she was put to death by lethal injection at Central Prison in Raleigh, North Carolina, after a Christian conversion that saw her minister to fellow inmates and express remorse. Her final 24 hours were marked by calm preparation, a simple last meal of Coca-Cola and Cheez Doodles, and a heartfelt apology in her last words. Declining special requests, she focused on faith and forgiveness. This execution, amid debates on gender and rehabilitation, highlighted addiction’s role in crime. Examining it objectively reveals insights into criminal psychology, justice ethics, and societal failures in addressing substance abuse, underscoring the need to learn from such cases to improve prevention through treatment and support systems.
Velma Barfield’s final 24 hours began on November 1, 1984, as her execution loomed at 2 a.m. the next day. On death row at Central Prison, she spent the day in quiet reflection, having converted to Christianity years earlier and become a model prisoner, counseling others and writing letters of apology to victims’ families. Reports described her as peaceful, accepting her fate after failed clemency appeals to Governor Jim Hunt, who cited the brutality of her crimes.
In the afternoon, Barfield declined a special last meal—opting instead for the prison’s standard offering but ultimately choosing just a bag of Cheez Doodles (or Cheetos in some accounts) and a Coca-Cola, snacks reflecting her simple tastes amid addiction recovery. She met with her spiritual advisor, a chaplain, for last rites and prayer, expressing faith in heaven. Family visits, including her children, occurred earlier, with emotional goodbyes; her son Ronnie later advocated against the death penalty, citing her transformation.
As evening fell, preparations intensified: she was dressed in pink pajamas (her choice for comfort) and fitted with a diaper per protocol for bodily functions during death. Witnesses—about 20, including media, officials, and victims’ relatives—gathered. At around 2 a.m. on November 2, Barfield walked steadily to the death chamber, strapped to the gurney.
Her last words, delivered calmly: “I want to say that I am sorry for all the hurt that I have caused. I know that everybody has gone through a lot of pain—all the families connected—and I am sorry, and I want to thank everybody who has been supporting me all these six years.” These reflected her remorse for poisoning victims, including her mother, two elderly patients, and fiancé, often with rat poison in food or drinks to fund her pill addiction.
The lethal injection—sodium thiopental (anesthetic), pancuronium bromide (paralytic), and potassium chloride (heart stopper)—began shortly after. Barfield closed her eyes peacefully; death was pronounced at 2:15 a.m. after about 15 minutes, the first by injection in North Carolina. Her body was autopsied and released for burial.
Barfield’s case, with its media focus on a “Death Row Granny,” sparked debates on executing women and addicts; her conversion led to clemency petitions from figures like Billy Graham, but failed. It influenced views on rehabilitation versus retribution.
Velma Barfield’s final 24 hours—from reflective prayers and a humble snack meal to a remorseful last statement and peaceful lethal injection—closed a chapter on a life marred by addiction-fueled murders, making her a landmark in U.S. execution history. Her transformation and apologies highlighted rehabilitation’s potential, yet her death underscored the irrevocability of capital punishment. By reflecting objectively, we confront how untreated trauma and substance abuse lead to tragedy, reinforcing the need for better mental health resources and justice reforms. This history inspires efforts to prevent violence through support systems, ensuring societies address addiction’s roots to build compassionate futures free from such cycles.
Sources
Final Hours: The Execution of Velma Barfield (LMU Digital Commons, 1989)
New York Times: “Women Executed in North Carolina” (1984)
YouTube: “The Final 24 Hours of Velma Barfield + Last Meal and Words” (2025)
Facebook (CardinalAndPine): Post on Velma Barfield (2025)Alcatraz East: “Velma Barfield” (website)
Vocal Media: “Top 15 Strangest Death Row Last Meal Requests” (article)
CSI Pressbooks: “Chapter 15: Velma Barfield ‘Death Row Granny'” (chapter)
New York Times: “First Woman Is Executed in U.S. Since 1962” (1984)
Clark County Prosecuting Attorney: “Velma Margie Barfield #29” (website)
Additional historical references from academic sources on U.S. executions.