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Blanche Taylor Moore, The Oldest Woman on Death Row (Part 1)

June 29, 2026 • 1h 0m

Summary

⏱️ 8 min read

Overview

This episode covers the first part of the Blanche Taylor Moore story, who became the oldest woman on death row. Born in 1933 in North Carolina, Blanche's life was marked by a strict religious upbringing, troubled marriages, serial affairs, and a pattern of suspicious deaths accompanied by arsenic poisoning symptoms. The hosts trace her journey from an unhappy childhood through multiple relationships, workplace manipulation, insurance fraud, and the mysterious deaths of her father and long-term boyfriend Raymond Reed.

Blanche's Difficult Childhood and Early Life

Blanche Taylor Moore was born in 1933 as the fifth of seven children to a hypocritical preacher father who abandoned the family for younger women while imposing impossible standards on his children. Her mother Flawny worked full-time to support the family while her father spent money on gambling and sex workers. The strict upbringing forbade after-school activities and socialization, creating a controlled and unhappy childhood environment that would shape Blanche's future relationships and behavior.

  • Blanche was born February 17, 1933, as the fifth of seven children to preacher PD Kaiser and his wife Flawny
  • PD was a hypocritical primitive preacher who spent family money on young women while being extremely strict with his children
  • The family moved to Burlington in 1942 when Blanche was nine, largely because PD couldn't keep employment
  • Children were forbidden from any after-school activities and had to come straight home, probably to pray
" PD preached an intense, monotonous sing-song literal interpretation of the Bible. "
" According to shoots never made any secret of the fact that he was spending it all on young girls "

Marriage to James Taylor and Early Adult Life

At age 15-16, Blanche began dating James Taylor, a complex man who was both a good Christian boy publicly but privately enjoyed drinking and gambling. They married in 1952 after he returned from the Korean War. Blanche became a popular cashier at Kroger, known for flirting with male customers, while James struggled with alcoholism, gambling, and a violent temper. Their marriage was troubled from the start, with Blanche eventually losing physical attraction to James and beginning an affair with her boss Raymond Reed in 1962.

  • Blanche met James Taylor at 15-16; he was publicly a good Christian but privately loved drinking and gambling
  • They married May 29, 1952, after James returned from Korea, and had their first daughter in 1953
  • Blanche became head cashier at Kroger by 1959, popular with customers but suspected of embezzling by coworkers
  • In 1962, Blanche started an affair with her boss Raymond Reed, barely trying to hide it from anyone
  • James showed signs of maturing by the mid-1960s, quitting drinking and gambling to focus on being a father
" Man, I'd like to see the dick on that guy. "

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