Betty Neumar: The Chilling Story Behind the “Black Widow Granny” Murder Investigations

From mysterious deaths and life insurance payouts to accusations of murder for hire, the story of Betty Neumar became one of the most bizarre true crime sagas in modern American history. Dubbed the “Black Widow Granny” by the media, Betty Neumar was linked to the deaths of five husbands across multiple states, though she was never convicted of murder.

Born Betty Johnson on November 1, 1931, in Ironton, Ohio, Neumar grew up in a working class family before marrying her first husband, Clarence Malone, in 1950 at just 19 years old. The marriage quickly became troubled. In 1951, while pregnant with their son Gary, Betty filed court papers alleging abuse by Clarence.

Two decades later, Clarence Malone was found shot in the back of the head outside his Ohio auto shop in 1970. Authorities ruled the death a homicide, but the killer was never identified. Family members said Betty appeared emotional at the funeral before suddenly disappearing from the area. Rumors circulated that Clarence may have angered a motorcycle gang, though no arrests were ever made.

Before Clarence’s death, Betty had already remarried. Her second husband, James Flynn, died in 1955 under murky circumstances. Betty reportedly gave conflicting explanations about his death over the years, at one point claiming he died on a pier in New York and later saying he froze to death inside a truck in New York City. Investigators later confirmed that a death certificate existed for a James Flynn in New York, but few details could be verified.

In the mid-1960s, Betty married Navy sailor Richard Sills while living in Florida. In April 1967, Richard was found dead inside the couple’s mobile home from a gunshot wound. Betty claimed the couple had argued before Richard took his own life. Authorities ruled the death a suicide, despite inconsistencies in the case and questions raised by Betty’s daughter Peggy, who said she never heard a gunshot or argument from the next room.

Betty’s fourth husband, Army veteran Harold Gentry, would eventually become the center of the most serious criminal investigation against her. The pair married in 1968 and settled in North Carolina after Harold retired from military service. Friends and family later described their marriage as volatile, with Harold reportedly warning relatives not to trust Betty.

On July 14, 1986, Harold Gentry was found shot multiple times inside the couple’s home in Norwood, North Carolina. Investigators believed the crime scene had been staged to resemble a burglary. Betty was reportedly in Augusta, Georgia, at the time getting her truck repaired and immediately provided police with her alibi upon learning of Harold’s death. Harold’s family strongly suspected Betty had arranged the killing after learning he was seeing another woman.

Authorities reopened Harold Gentry’s case in 2008 after decades of pressure from his family. Prosecutors alleged that Betty had attempted to hire multiple people, including a former police officer and a neighbor, to murder Harold so she could collect life insurance money. Betty was arrested and charged with three counts of solicitation to commit first degree murder.

As investigators dug deeper into Betty’s past, additional suspicious deaths drew renewed scrutiny. Her son Gary died in 1985 from what authorities ruled a suicide. Years later, Betty’s fifth husband, John Neumar, died in Georgia in 2007 from illnesses officially attributed to sepsis and related medical complications. Investigators later examined whether arsenic poisoning played a role after discovering heavy metals in his cremated remains, though results were ultimately inconclusive.

The case attracted widespread media attention. Reporters labeled Betty the “Black Widow Granny,” while investigators uncovered evidence suggesting she had used more than two dozen aliases and possibly maintained overseas bank accounts. Betty denied all allegations and insisted she was simply unlucky in love. In the 2009 BBC documentary Black Widow Granny?, she stated, “I cannot control when somebody dies. That’s God’s work.”

Despite years of investigations spanning several states, Betty Neumar never stood trial. On June 13, 2011, she died from cancer at age 79 in a Louisiana hospital, taking many unanswered questions with her. Harold Gentry’s brother later expressed frustration that justice was never served, saying Betty “took all those secrets to the grave.”

By the end of 2012, all active investigations connected to Betty Neumar and the deaths of her five husbands had officially been closed.