Crimes in Herstory (Blog Series) -- When Push Comes to Shove: A Woman's Revenge

 WC Blogpost by: 

Celestine Mullin & CG1

Introduction: 

Over the course of our class "Women and Crime", we have been focusing on and researching various instances of crime committed by women. Some of the factors we have talked about are the situations leading up to the crime, how identities affect the trial outcomes, and the harsh penal conditions for women. For this assignment, we were given a case from the 1800s to investigate. We were given the name of a woman who had committed and been tried for a crime. Our mission was to figure out what happened, who was convicted, and how society might have played a role in her trial and public image. We began by exploring newspaper archives and library resources to gain a better understanding of the woman and the crime. The woman’s name we were given was Lucy Parnell.

Report of the Crime:

Lucy Parnell was a Black woman who was executed for a crime in 1868. From an Iowa County Democrat article on March 11, 1868, Parnell was reported to face her punishment for a crime that occurred “two years prior.”1 From this, we have speculated that the crime might have occurred ~1866. During our research, we were able to learn the most about the event from the newspaper archive, Daily Republican Missouri, which was published on March 10, 1868.2 On the night of the crime, Parnell admitted to striking Hanson Robbins, a Black man, in the head multiple times. The relationship between Parnell and Robbins is unknown, but our speculations include either her lover, husband, or acquaintance. Parnell reports Robbins repeatedly came into her room, uninvited throughout the night. He was seeking sexual acts but Parnell refused and warned him not to come by her room.3 Robbins ignored her request and went to her room anyway. When Parnell restated her refusal, Robbins began to verbally attack Parnell. Robbins warned Parnell to leave and threatened to throw out Parnell and her furniture if she did not comply. Eventually, he left and Parnell, thinking Robbins had given up his intended violence, went to sleep. Soon after, Parnell was woken up by Robbins dragging her furniture out the door, intending to throw it out. Fed up, Parnell struck Robbins with a stick (that was previously used for beating apples to cider) twice. Parnell states that she did not mean to hurt him as much as she did and stopped when she realized the severity of his injuries. When Parnell saw his state, she decided to call upon her two daughters to help her drag his body out of the house. We do not know the relationship between Hanson and the daughters. To our knowledge, the daughters were not convicted or tried for any charges. Together, Parnell and the daughters dragged his body to a ditch on the side of the road. Parnell dug a hole and buried Robbins—even though he continued to have shallow breathing as she put him in the ground. Parnell states that she still heard his groans after she had finished burying him alive.

Later on, Parnell reported having a “terrible fascination” with the burial spot.4 She continued to visit the site. During one of her visits, she noticed that hogs had dug up a part of the skeleton. She carefully reburied part of the skeleton. On a second time, she noticed that a dog had scratched up the skull. She walked the skull around the field before reburying it under a cedar tree. 

Parnell was eventually tried and punished for the crime. On March 10, 1868, Parnell was hanged in Snow Hill, Maryland. 

Crime Analysis: 

From this research, we were able to gather some facts about the crime and Parnell herself. However, a lot of details remain unknown. From what we do know, Parnell admitted to the crime but we are uncertain as to how Parnell was caught and discovered—as well as any details of the trail. Prior to her execution, she said she was “going home to glory” and that “this death won’t be anything more than a horsefly bite”.5 From this, we conclude that she does not seem remorseful or regretful. There seems to be a lack of coverage on this case. We are uncertain of the reasons why. 

Given her attitude towards the crime, we speculate that she was likely asked for sex on repeated occasions from Robbins. We can also consider that it may have been an act of self-defense. It is important to consider society’s view on women at this time period. Women held different gendered norms and expectations than their male counterparts. They were expected to be docile, subordinate, and submissive. They did not hold a great deal of autonomy. Thus, the fact that Parnell refused and went against the male figure is a crucial detail in the case. Women were upheld to an expectation of sexual obligation. Robbins' request might have been viewed as acceptable and normal at this time. 

Another important detail to remember is that slavery was abolished in 1865 which was close to this time period (1866-1868). Robbins and Parnell were both Black and living in Maryland. Using the information from our previously mentioned newspaper clipping (Iowa County Democrat) combined with inferences about the timeline of body decay, Parnell likely committed the crime two years prior to her receiving the punishment. The two year gap is important because it gives us two important implications to consider. It indicates how there was a significant amount of time where no one noticed Robbins’ absence. But, it could also suggest that the courts did not prioritize the crime against Robbins, since we do not know any details about the timeline of the trial. Robbins’ identity as a Black man is a key factor in this two year gap. Due to his identity, his absence may have gone unnoticed longer than if he was a white man accepted in the community. In the other situation, we speculate that a Black man’s murder may not have been a priority to the courts. Since both the victim and the accused are Black, their case was not given great consideration and importance.

Modern-day Implications: 

After this case review, we want to consider the impact of a lack of historical records on women's crimes. In our research, we found it difficult to find coverage on Parnell and Robbins. This alludes to the decreased coverage and publicity of the Black community in society. The events that did make the newspaper were instances of Black violence and crimes. The articles we were able to find were only written at the time of Parnell’s hanging. The headline read: “Execution of a N*gress in Maryland—She Confesses to Burying Her Victim Alive.” Black women, especially, were in a difficult position where they were as more violent and dangerous compared to white women. 

Another important observation about the newspaper clippings we found was that there was no available coverage of the crime in Maryland, where the crime occurred. The archives we found were from Missouri, Wisconsin, and New York. We do not know why there was no coverage in Maryland.

Many women’s crimes are not documented or taught as important historical events. The significance of how women were both treated and viewed throughout the years is important to consider in both the racial and sexual history.

All in all, the lack of coverage in the past makes it difficult for us to truly understand what happened and who was responsible for women's crimes and punishment. 

As the women stereotype evolved throughout the years, even though women are given more respect and autonomy today, aspects of the stereotypes still exist today. Among different races, women are expected to act differently. Black women are still considered to be more violent than white women. Today’s sexual expectations are still prevalent in politics and society. In today’s dating society, women are still expected to give and want sex. Additionally, the aftermath of refusing sex can still lead to violent outcomes and stigmatization. Even after accusations of rape and sexual assault, we do not see punishments and consequences. Our government does not protect sexual rights and autonomy with legislative law.

Conclusion: 

Throughout this study, we delved into Lucy Parnell’s history to understand her motives and thoughts. While we were able to learn important information about the case, there are still a lot of unknown variables. This case study gave us time to crucially reflect on the lack of documentation on women’s crimes. As we continue throughout our semester, Mustakeem has been able to provide us many stories of women’s crime history. We’ve been able to delve into the history of the American West where we saw the skewed treatment and judgment of women who began to act out of societal norms. These women were punished and locked away with very little documentation and support. We are hoping to take advantage of the resources from this class to uncover the realities of the advantages and disadvantages that personal identities have on criminal history. In the future of this class, we are interested to see if the location will impact the documentation of crime as well. Our future readings will focus on crime in New York and Philadelphia. We are curious to see whether the East Coast will provide us with a different lens on crime.

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References 

1. Iowa County Democrat, March 11, 1868,

2. "Lucy Parnell: "Execution of a Negress in Maryland—She Confesses to Burying Her Victim Alive,” Daily Missouri Republican, March 10, 1868.

3. Seagrave, Kerry. “Lucy Parnell.” Women and Capital Punishment in America, 1840-1899: Death Sentences and Executions in the United States and Canada. (Mcfarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina and London), pp. 69–70.

4. "Lucy Parnell: "Execution of a Negress in Maryland—She Confesses to Burying Her Victim Alive,” Daily Missouri Republican, March 10, 1868.

5. Buffalo Courier Express, March 12, 1868,