Emily Lynette Kirby Bell was born October 31, 1919 in Louisiana. She was arrested in 1984, at age 64, for suspected Arsenic Poisoning.
Officials stated that they have six other suspected arsenic deaths during the past 12 years. The bodies of six people, 5 men and one woman, were exhumed last month from the Butters Cemetery in Glenmora. They were send to Dr. McCormick's forensic Pathology laboratory in Bossier City were the autopsies were performed. Humphrise said a common thread existed in that each of the dead knew Mrs. Bell. He she either married, knew, or cared for them. The persons whose bodies were exhumed are Venson Bell, who was married to Mrs. Bell for more than 20 years; William Eugene Johnson and Tanzy Clifford Reeves, both of whom had licenses to marry Mrs. Bell; Earl Campbell, who once lived with Mrs. Bell for a period before his death that was an accidental shooting: Blanche Foreman, a woman who once lived with Campbell and was reportedly taken care of by Mrs. Bell just before her death; and Ira Butter, whose exact relationship with Mrs. Bell hasn't been determined.
Mrs. Bel was charged with second-degree murder in connection with the death of Mountville B. Townley or Pineville. The forensic pathologist said that he analyzed a sample of Townley's blood and determined there was a lethal level of arsenic in the blood sample. There was also levels of arsenic found in his whiskey bottle. He died in her apartment across from the Alexandria Mall.
She was accused of using arsenic to poison Tanzy C. Reeves, who died in 1979 at age 61. She was also accused of trying to Poison Earl Campbell, who killed himself in 1982 before the arsenic reached fatal levels. Reeves claimed that prior to their marriage, his wife tried to kill him. She cooked him a pot of gumbo one day and she fixed him a bowl to eat. When Reeves tasted the gumbo and noticed something was wrong, he told his friends and family. He poured the gumbo in a jar and supposedly brought it to a chemist friend who tested in and said there was enough speed in it to "Kill 10 People." There was other times that his food was spiked with drugs. Mrs. Bell would tell her daughter, Mrs. Blevins, to not eat certain foods. Mrs. Blevins said she watched Reeves pace the floor for four days after eating some blackberry cobbler. Mrs. Blevins said she never ate at her mother's house after learning about this.
Mrs. Bell was also charged with criminal conspiracy and arson with the intent to defraud. The motive for murder was suspected to be part of a plan to collect insurance money and the estates of the vicitms. Mrs. Blevin's thinks that her mother poisoned the three men, not for money, but because she hated drunks. Mrs. Blevins said that her mother hated men. She hated sex and had a deep hat of men. She believes that the alcoholism of her grandfather inspired the killings because he abused her mother.
CHRONOLOGY Time Line
Aug. 4, 1972 – Vernon Bell dies. “hung cancer”; later autopsy showed arsenic in lungs.
Nov. 1975 – marries William E. Johnson Sr.
May 25, 1976 – William E. Johnson Sr. dies.
1977 – reportedly marries Ira O. Butter Jr.
Dec. 1977 – Marries Tanzy Clifford Reeves. (date: arsenic in gumbo served to Reeves, who had it tested).
Nov. 13, 1979 – Tanzy Clifford Reeves dies.
Sep. 20, 1981 – Blanche Foreman Campbell dies.
May 1982 – marries Earl Campbell.
Sep. 18, 1982 – Earl Campbell dies.
1983 – Emily Lynette Kirby Bell committed to Central State Hospital; stays about 3 mo.
Early 1984 – Mountville Townley moves in with Lynette.
May 6, 1984 – Lynette’s Glenora, La. home burned; arson.
May 11, 1984 – Mountville Townley dies in Lynette’s Tanglewood Terrace, Pineville apartment.
Jul. 12, 1984 – 6 bodies exhumed from Butter’s Cemetery, Forest Hill.
Aug. (?), 1984 – L’s daughter Debbie Blevins & 2 other witnessed put in protective custody, preceding Aug. 21 arrest of Lynette.
Aug. 21, 1984 – Lynette arrested for arson. Suspected that she put Townley up to it.
Oct. 2, 1984 – indicted; 2 murders, 1 att. murder.
1985 – Lynette’s daughter, Susan, dies.
Sep. 3, 1987 – released on $200,000 bail.
Mar. 18, 1988 – trial moved to Acadia County (reported on Mar. 18).
Sep. 22, 1988 – L pleads guilty.
Feb. 14, 1989 – denies guilt; petitions to withdraw guilty plea. Psychiatrist testifies Lynette had been mentally incapable of understanding when she pleaded guilty.
Feb. 17, 1989 – L bail revoked; jailed.
Feb. 23, 1989 – petitions Louisiana State Supreme Court to halt sentencing.
Feb. 24. 1989 – L Judge Hugh Brunson, Crowley, La, sentenced to 21 years in prison.
May 2, 1989 – permission to withdraw plea refused y LSC.
Mar. 20, 2000 – Lynette dies. Buried in Butters Cemetery.