Sign language

BBC One Channel Islands

The BBC West region started on 1st September 1957 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One West.

BBC One West

The BBC South West region started on 20th April 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South West.

BBC One South West

The BBC South region started on 5th January 1961 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One South.

BBC One South

BBC One London

London

BBC One West Midlands

BBC One region covering Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire.

BBC One East Midlands

The BBC East region started on 1st May 1959 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One East.

BBC One East

BBC One North West

The BBC North East & Cumbria region started in 1959 (tbc) as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One North East & Cumbria.

BBC One North East & Cumbria

BBC One Yorkshire

BBC One Oxfordshire

Formerly part of a wider BBC One South East region that included London and part of the South region. Separated from BBC One London 2001-09-03 following reorganisation of the South East region.

BBC One South East

BBC One Cambridgeshire

BBC One Yorks & Lincs

BBC Northern Ireland region started on 19th April 1955 as part of the BBC Television Service, before becoming BBC One Northern Ireland.

BBC One Northern Ireland

BBC One Wales

Wales

BBC One Scotland

Scotland

Norman Hull

Black Widow Granny?

Documentaries

Factual: Crime & Justice

03/11/2009

BBC One - Black Widow Granny?Close menu

All of Betty Neumar's five husbands appear to have died in suspicious circumstances.

Betty Neumar married five times and all five husbands appear to have died in suspicious circumstances. Could this 76-year-old really have got away with murder five times?

In the autumn of 2008, Al Gentry from Albemarle, North Carolina, achieved his goal of 22 years hard work - he had Betty Neumar arrested for the murder of his brother Harold who was Betty's husband back in 1986.
 
Only then did it emerge that Harold Gentry was just one of Betty's former husbands. She'd in fact been married five times in total - and all five husbands appear to have died in suspicious circumstances. The US media had a field day and labelled her 'The Black Widow', but could this 76-year-old grandmother really have got away with murder, not just once but five times? 

Made by acclaimed director Norman Hull, this film seeks the answer, tracking down some of the surviving relatives of the dead husbands, some of Betty's own children from these marriages, and finally the alleged 'The Black Widow' herself who completely denies all the accusations and presents a very plausible defence. 

Betty has been charged with solicitation to murder Harold Gentry. As her trial approaches the film pieces together a trail of destruction and broken lives through investigation and reportage in a journey which is not over yet.

BBC One

BBC One is a TV channel that started broadcasting on the 20th April 1964. It replaced BBC Television.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Black Widow Granny?

Contributors

Genres

Formats

BBC One Channel Islands

About BBC One