Loren Doxey (October 20, 1858 – June 19, 1912) and Dora Doxey (March 17, 1879 – 1921) were a husband and wife who were charged with murder in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1909, accused of killing a man whom Dora had married in a

bigamous In cultures where monogamy is mandated, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. A legal or de facto separation of the couple does not alter their marital status as married persons. I ...

relationship. Dora was found not guilty, and the case against Loren was dismissed. Dora was later convicted of bigamy. Dora_Doxey_in_wheelchair_and_Loren_Doxey_in_foreground

Personal

Loren Doxey

Loren Doxey was born on October 20, 1858, in

Waterloo, Iowa Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...

, the son of Thomas Biscoe Doxey and Margaret Henry Doxey. He was graduated with a medical degree from Rush College in 1894, and set up a medical practice in

Joy, Illinois Joy is a village in Mercer County, Illinois, United States. The population was 372 as of the 2020 census. The village was founded in 1869 and named after the president of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, J. F. Joy. Geography Joy is ...

, with the aid of Mary Bridgeford, the principal of Joy High School, whom he married in May 1897. Mary died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

in 1898. Doxey drowned in the

Tennessee River The Tennessee River is the largest tributary of the Ohio River. It is approximately long and is located in the southeastern United States in the Tennessee Valley. The river was once popularly known as the Cherokee River, among other names, ...

Clifton, Tennessee Clifton is a city in Wayne County, Tennessee, Wayne County, Tennessee, on the state's south central border with Alabama. It developed as a river port along the Tennessee River in the 19th century. Its historic districts listed on the National Regis ...

on June 19, 1912. A

coroner's jury A coroner's jury is a body convened to assist a coroner in an inquest, that is, in determining the identity of a deceased person and the cause of death. The laws on its role and function vary by jurisdiction. United Kingdom In England and Wale ...

ruled the death as accidental.

Dora Doxey

Dora Doxey was born on March 17, 1879, in

Millersburg, Illinois Millersburg is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Millersburg Township, Mercer County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 54. Millersburg is northwest of Aledo Aledo may refer to: * ...

, as Dora Fuller, the daughter of Jefferson Fuller, a farmer and land owner in

Mercer County, Illinois Mercer County is a county in Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it had a population of 16,434. Its county seat is Aledo. Mercer County is included in the Davenport- Moline- Rock Island, IA-IL Metropolitan Statistical Area. History Merc ...

, and Josephine Himman Awbrey. Dora had two sisters, Mary, older than she, and Grace, younger.Ancestry.com
/ref>"Mrs. Doxey Writes Story of Her Life and How She Was Enslaved by Drugs," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' May 20, 1910, page 1
/ref> In December 1895, at the age of 16, Dora married Robert L. Downing, one of her teachers at Joy High School. They had four children, all of whom died young. The couple separated in September 1903 and divorced in 1905. Dora was married to Frank J. Le Gear in Devil's Lake, Wisconsin, in 1905, then to Loren Doxey in 1906 in

Burlington, Iowa Burlington is a city in, and the county seat of, Des Moines County, Iowa, United States. The population was 23,982 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 26,839 population in 2000. Burlington is the center of a micropolitan area, which includes ...

. She married William J. Erder in

Clayton, Missouri Clayton is a city in and the seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. It borders the independent city of St. Louis. The population was 17,355 at the 2020 census. Organized in 1877, the city was named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the ...

, on April 26, 1909, and he died on July 10 of that year. Dora Doxey married Fred Whitney in 1912 in

Orofino, Idaho Orofino (''"fine gold"'' rein Spanish) is a city in and the county seat of Clearwater County, Idaho, along Orofino Creek and the north bank of the Clearwater River. It is the major city within the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. The population was ...

, and George Thomas in 1919, supposedly in the same city. She died in 1921 in San Francisco.

Doxey marriage

Loren and Dora Doxey began a

sexual relationship An intimate relationship is an interpersonal relationship that involves Physical intimacy, physical or emotional intimacy. Although an intimate relationship is commonly a sexual relationship, it may also be a non-sexual relationship involving ...

while she was a patient of his and she was still married to Robert Downing. They were married on August 29, 1906, in

. During their marriage, Dora became addicted to

morphine Morphine is a strong opiate that is found naturally in opium, a dark brown resin in poppies (''Papaver somniferum''). It is mainly used as a analgesic, pain medication, and is also commonly used recreational drug, recreationally, or to make ...

, which Loren prescribed and administered. At first they lived in

Columbus, Nebraska Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Platte County, in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. The population was 22,111 at the 2010 census. It is the 10th largest city in Nebraska, with 24,028 people as of the 2020 censu ...

, and later in

Savannah, Tennessee Savannah is a city in and the county seat of Hardin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 7,213 at the 2020 census. Savannah is located along the east side of the Tennessee River. Savannah hosted the NAIA college football national ...

, where Loren Doxey found it difficult to earn a living. They were on their way to a new life in

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyom ...

when Loren drowned.

Murder trial

In December 1909, the authorities in St. Louis found traces of arsenic in the body of William J. Erder, and murder

indictments An indictment ( ) is a formal accusation that a person has committed a crime. In jurisdictions that use the concept of felonies, the most serious criminal offence is a felony; jurisdictions that do not use the felonies concept often use that of an ...

were issued by a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury—a group of citizens—empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a pe ...

against the two Doxeys, both of them having been arrested on

suspicion Suspicion is a feeling of mistrust. Suspicion(s), The Suspicion, or Suspicious may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Suspicion'' (1918 film), an American silent film directed by John M. Stahl * ''Suspicion'' (1941 film), an American ...

."Woman Held for Bigamy and Murder, Her Accuser, and Man Who Died of Poison," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' December 2, 1909, page 1
/ref>"Doxey And Wife Indicted for First-Degree Murder," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' December 18, 1909
/ref> Former Lieutenant Governor Charles P. Johnson was engaged as the attorney for both The murder charges were separated, and Dora Doxey was put on trial in May and June 1910. She was found not guilty on June 3, and Loren was set free on June 7, the charges against him being dismissed."Doxey's Letter Reaches Attorney Here As He Dies," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' June 20, 1912, page 1
/ref>

Bigamy trial

Dora Doxey was charged in

St. Louis County, Missouri St. Louis County is located in the eastern-central portion of Missouri. It is bounded by the City of St. Louis and the Mississippi River to the east, the Missouri River to the north, and the Meramec River to the south. At the 2020 census, th ...

, in December 1909 on a charge of committing bigamy with William J. Erder, and after many continuances, she

pleaded guilty In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a criminal case under common law using the adversarial system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response ...

and was sentenced to jail on December 1, 1913. While serving time in the county jail in

, she carried on a flirtation via a series of letters and whispered conversations with another inmate, Earl Wheeler. She was released on February 24, 1914, and went to Idaho with Fred Whitney."Mrs. Doxey Out of Jail; Husband Takes Her Home," ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch,'' March 1, 1914, page 1 (screen 6)
/ref>