49 Facts About Louise Peete

Louise Peete was a convicted American serial killer.

In May 1945, Peete was convicted a second time for murdering her employer, Margaret Logan, and was sentenced to death.

Louise Peete was executed in April 1947, making her the second of only four women to be executed in the California gas chamber.

Louise Peete's father was a prominent and wealthy newspaper publisher.

In 1911, Peete made her way to Boston, Massachusetts and changed her name to "Louise M Gould".

Louise Peete then began claiming that she was a 19-year-old Dallas heiress named R H Rosley.

Louise Peete ingratiated herself into several wealthy Boston families with her beauty and charm, and managed to convince one family to take her in.

Louise Peete then proceeded to charge items to the family at some of Boston's most expensive stores, and stole money from their friends and employees.

Louise Peete later moved to Waco, Texas, where she became romantically involved with wealthy oil baron Joe Appel.

In 1913, Louise Peete moved to Dallas, Texas and quickly married Harry Faurote, a night clerk who worked at the St George Hotel.

Shortly after the two married, Louise Peete stole $20,000 worth of jewels from the hotel's safe.

Shortly thereafter, Louise Peete left her estranged husband and daughter and moved to Los Angeles, California.

On June 2,1920, a little over a week after Louise Peete moved into the mansion, Denton disappeared.

Shortly thereafter, Louise Peete hired a gardener to transport a load of dirt into the basement claiming she was planning to grow mushrooms.

Louise Peete claimed that the signature looked unusual because she had to help Denton write checks and sign his name with his left hand.

Louise Peete later expounded on this story, claiming that Denton was in seclusion as he was "ashamed" by his amputated arm and would only see and speak to her.

Louise Peete gave several stories to explain his absence, including a story that Denton was on an extended business trip in various locations and would return shortly.

Louise Peete spent his money, began driving his Cadillac, pawned his jewelry and possessions, and rented rooms in his mansion and pocketed the rent money.

Louise Peete convinced tenants of Denton's rental properties in Phoenix, Arizona to make their rent checks out to her.

The attorney questioned Louise Peete, who claimed she did not know where Denton was, but agreed to forward his financial and business documents as soon as possible.

Louise Peete's body was bound in numerous cords and wrapped in a quilt.

Louise Peete maintained that she was not involved, but offered different scenarios to explain his death.

Louise Peete claimed that the unidentified "mysterious Spanish woman" who has purportedly shot Denton causing his arm to be amputated was his killer.

Louise Peete then claimed that the body was not Denton, but that of a double whom Denton had killed.

Louise Peete was brought back to Los Angeles and was indicted on one charge of first-degree murder.

Thousands of spectators lined up daily to watch Louise Peete walk into the Hall of Justice.

Louise Peete was initially imprisoned at San Quentin State Prison before being transferred to the California Institution for Women in Tehachapi.

Louise Peete was considered a model prisoner, working as a dental assistant, maintaining the prison's flower garden, and writing for the prison newspaper.

Louise Peete was released into the custody of Jessie Marcy, a woman who had lobbied for her release, and began working as her live-in housekeeper.

Louise Peete then moved in with her probation officer, Emily Latham, and acted as her nurse and housekeeper.

Shortly after her release, Louise Peete had legally changed her name to "Anna Lee".

Louise Peete had struck up a friendship with Margaret, a retired social worker, while she was in prison.

Margaret believed that Louise Peete was innocent and had lobbied for her release.

Louise Peete worked for the couple as a live-in housekeeper and nurse to Arthur, who was suffering from age-related dementia and had been declared mentally incompetent.

Around this time, on May 2,1944, Louise Peete married banker Lee Borden Judson.

Louise Peete did not disclose to Judson that she had been previously imprisoned for murder.

Three days later, Arthur was committed to Patton State Hospital by Louise Peete, who claimed to be his foster sister.

When neighbors began asking about Margaret's whereabouts, Louise Peete claimed that Arthur had attacked his wife in a frenzy and bitten her nose so severely that she was left disfigured.

When Louise Peete's husband began asking about Margaret's whereabouts, Louise Peete reiterated that Arthur had attacked his wife and added that Margaret had gone into seclusion to undergo plastic surgery.

Shortly after Arthur's death, employees at the Logans' bank detected one of the forgeries Louise Peete made and called police.

Louise Peete was arrested and charged with murder a few hours after the discovery.

Louise Peete admitted that she buried Margaret but denied killing her.

Louise Peete said she did not report the murder because she feared she would be blamed due to her previous conviction.

Prosecutors theorized that Louise Peete killed Margaret Logan to gain control of her finances.

Louise Peete looked up briefly to make a mocking facial expression to the prosecutor and then resumed reading.

Louise Peete was the second woman in California history to be executed by the state.

Louise Peete is interred at Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Louise Peete's story was dramatized in the series Deadly Women, episode "To Love and to Murder", originally aired August 24,2011.

Louise Peete's story was covered by YouTuber, Bailey Sarian, in an August 9,2021 episode of her "Murder, Mystery, and Makeup" series.