Murder of James Valentine Reffitt

Date: 1935 to 1935
Location: Montgomery County, Kentucky
Surname/tag: Reffitt, Sexton, Stamper

Various News articles on the death of James Valentine Reffitt. Typed information does not represent the entirety of the articles.

14 Feb 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Indigestion is Fatal to Mt. Sterling Boy.^[1]

15 Feb 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Child's Death Probed.^[2]

15 Feb 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Investigation Follows Death At Mt. Sterling. The boy and his brothers and sisters became ill Tuesday night after, it was alleged, they had eaten some candy given them by (George) Sexton. ^[3]Local authorities reported that Sexton is a former convict and that the child's father Ernest Reffitt is now in the Frankfort reformatory. ^[3]

15 Feb 1935, The Cincinnati Enquirer. Poison Theory. Investigated In Death of Boy - 8 - Exconvict Who Gave Candy To Child is Held.^[4]

21 Feb 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Mt. Sterling Officials Push Poisoning Probe. County Attorney Given Report on Laboratory's Investigation.^[5]

28 Feb 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Sexton Facing Murder Charge.^[6]

28 Feb 1935, The Kentucky Post, Cincinnati Edition. Former Convict, 22, Held in Boy's Death. Yesterday Dr. Linwood Brown reported that the child's stomach contained poison. Flour in the home held enough poison to kill several people. ^[7]

1 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Find Poison In Boy's Stomach.^[8]

5 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald. Mother Held In Tot's Death.^[9] When the Stockily-built Mrs. Reffitt was brought to the Montgomery County jail today, she refused to make any statement, except the curt pronouncement "they're making a mistake." Officers here said they had learned Sexton had become acquainted with Mrs. Reffitt after Sexton had served a prison term with her husband, Ernest Reffitt, who still is incarcerated in the federal penitentiary at Petersburg, VA., on a charge of manufacturing illicit whiskey and violation of parole.^[9] The Two Reffitt children who recovered from the effects of eating poison are now inmates of the Kentucky Children's Home at Lyndon. Mrs. Reffitt strenuously objected to their being sent there but her husband, in a letter written from the Petersburg penitentiary, requested that they be removed from her custody. Mrs. Reffitt's youngest child, born while her husband was in the penitentiary, is being cared for by relatives. ^[9]

5 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Mother Facing Murder Charge. Pair at Mt. Sterling Under Arrest In Connection With Case. ^[10] The second person arrested on a murder charge as a result of the child's death, Mrs. Viola Reffitt, 26, was held in jail today as an accessory in the poison slaying of her 8-year-old son, James Reffitt, on Feb 13.^[10] ....three of her four surviving children taken to Kentucky Children's home....^[10]

5 Mar 1935, The Kentucky Post and Times-Star. Mother of Dead Boy Named With Lover in Poisin Plot.^[11]

5 Mar 1935, The Paducah Sun Democrat. Two Are Held In Slaying Of Boy.^[12]

5 Mar 1935, The Bristol News Bulletin. Mother and Jobless Carpenter Charged With Death of Boy.^[13]

5 Mar 1935, St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Man and Woman Accused of Poising Her Son.^[14]

5 Mar 1935, The Park City Daily News, Bowling Green, Kentucky. Mother Of Young Boy Faces Charges In Poising Death.^[15]

5 Mar 1935, The Messenger-Inquirer. Mother Charged With Son's Death.^[16]

6 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Photo included. Mrs. Reffitt Retells Story. Mother, Charged as Accessory in Death of Son, Says She Does Not Know Who Placed Poison In Food.^[17]She states she left the children alone while working on a sewing project at the Christian Church. When she came home they were fine and after supper the children and she became ill.^[17] "Wednesday morning Jimmie was terribly sick, and then he grew quiet and began to grow cold. I took blankets off the other bed and placed them over him. Finally the doctor came. He said Jimmie had been dead a long time." ......she had the baby in prison with her.^[17] "George is the father of my youngest child Edna Mae." ......The papers were drawn to remove the children to the children's home a few days before the tragedy took place.^[17]

12 Mar 1935, The Lexington Hearld-Leader. Large Crowd Attends Mrs. Reffitt's Hearing.^[18]

12 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Woman's Case Passed in Montgomery Court.^[19]

26 Mar 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Mrs. Viola Reffitt May Testify Against Sexton.^[20] Murder charges will be dropped against her if she turns state's evidence against Sexton.^[20]

26 Mar 1935, The Lexington-Hearlad Leader. Bond is Obtained by Mrs. Reffitt.^[21]

2 Jun 1935, The Lexington Herald-Leader. Two Are Indited in Mt. Sterling, Criticisms Made.^[22] George Sexton and Viola Reffitt were released due to insufficent evidence.

10 Jun 1935, The Advocate-Messenger, Danville, Kentucky. Alleged Poisoner Freed.^[23]