WORCESTER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — The true crime genre is becoming more popular than ever these days -- and one local author is hoping to bring a story out of central mass into the spotlight.
Worcester-based author Andrew Noone is out with a new book about Bathsheba Spooner of Brookfield, who was the first woman to be executed in the United States.
"I'd always heard the story of Bathsheba Spooner -- always kind of on the back burner," Noone said. "I think it's the most famous sensational story from Worcester County. Had it happened in Boston or New York we'd know the story."
The book, titled Bathsheba Spooner: a Revolutionary Murder Conspiracy, details the story of how Spooner was having an affair with a militiaman from Ipswich around the time of the American Revolution when she conspired with recently-escaped British soldiers to have them kill her husband.
"[Spooner's] marriage had been on the rocks for a while -- it was probably growing worse and worse," Noone said. "And almost immediately within a couple days [the soldiers] joined the plot."
The group successfully carried out the murder and subsequently got caught -- leading Spooner to be hung in 1778, along with the killers.
"It was just a one-day trial, they were all found guilty," Spooner said.
If you're interested in learning more about Spooner's case and want to buy Noone's book, you can find it here.
WBZ's Matt Shearer (@MattWBZ) reports.
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Written by Rachel Armany
Photo: (Getty Images)