Offender Record · OFF-2026-176
Jane Toppan (photo from the Radford University biography)
Jane Toppan
Also known as Honora Kelley, Jolly Jane
Sex
Female
Race
White
Born
1854
Custody
Deceased
States
MA, NH
Distinguishing featuresGained weight during imprisonment; became overweight by her 40s.
Custody
Deceased at Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane
Custody record at the facility
Committed for life on June 23, 1902; died August 17, 1938 at Taunton State Hospital, Massachusetts.
This record documents arrests, charges and convictions reported by courts, law enforcement agencies and news organizations. Every statement is tied to a cited source with an archived copy. A charge is an accusation, not proof of guilt; a person charged is presumed innocent unless convicted. Where a record says named by police, no charge was ever filed: the record rests on a law enforcement agency's public identification of the deceased person, cited below. Not guilty by reason of insanity means the court found the act proven but the person not criminally responsible. Solve the Case does not allege that this person committed any offense beyond what the cited records state, and this record is not a suggestion that the person is connected to any unsolved case. How records are built, corrected and removed.
Summary of the record
Jane Toppan, born Honora Kelley on March 31, 1854 in Boston, Massachusetts, was convicted of murder and found not guilty by reason of insanity on June 23, 1902 for poisoning patients and family members with morphine and atropine while working as a nurse and private care provider. She confessed to 31 murders between 1895 and 1901 and is suspected of killing more than 100. She was committed to Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Massachusetts for life, where she died on August 17, 1938.
Documented Arrests, Charges and Convictions
Dispositions are shown exactly as the cited records report them. Pending charges are updated when a court acts; a record with no remaining conviction or pending charge is removed from the site.
Offense date Jul 05, 1901, Bourne, Massachusetts
Murder
Barnstable County, Massachusetts · Barnstable Superior Court · Arrested Oct 29, 1901 · Charged (pending) Charged (pending) · Sentence: Included in not guilty by reason of insanity verdict for multiple murders
Mattie Davis, an adult female, was poisoned with morphine and atropine beginning in June 1900 and died on July 5, 1900. Toppan administered a gradual poisoning over 7 days at the Davis home in Bourne.
SourcesRadford University serial killer biography: Toppan, Jane; Jane Toppan
Offense date Aug 12, 1901, Bourne, Massachusetts
Murder
Barnstable County, Massachusetts · Barnstable Superior Court · Arrested Oct 29, 1901 · Convicted Convicted · Sentence: Not guilty by reason of insanity; committed to Taunton State Hospital for life
Minnie Gibbs (Mary D. Gibbs), an adult female, was poisoned with morphine and atropine on August 12, 1901 while in Toppan's private care at the Davis home in Bourne, Massachusetts. The formal trial charge was for her murder specifically; toxicological examination revealed morphine and atropine poisoning.
SourcesJane Toppan
Pattern and Background
Victim counts and the pattern of the offenses as stated by courts, agencies and the cited reporting. Suspected counts are what officials have said publicly, not a finding of this site.
0
Victims convicted
31
Victims confessed
70
Victims suspected
Active years
1895–1901
Victim profile
Elderly, Patients in care, Family members, Acquaintances
Stated motive
Sexual, Power or control
Range from home
regional
Confessed
Yes
Cooperated with investigators
Yes
Education
some high school
Marital history
Never married
Children
0
Died
1938-08-17 · natural
Agencies
Law enforcement, prosecutors and corrections agencies the records show dealing with this person. An investigator working a case with a possible connection can start here.
Massachusetts State Police · MA
State detectives investigated suspicious deaths and followed Toppan
Source: Wikipedia, Agency involvement: Massachusetts State Police
Amherst Police Department · NH
Arrested Toppan in Amherst, New Hampshire on October 29, 1901
Source: Wikipedia, Boston Magazine
Taunton State Hospital (Taunton Insane Hospital) · MA
Committed for life following June 23, 1902 verdict; held until her death in 1938
Source: Wikipedia, Encyclopedia.com
Barnstable County Jail · MA
Held Toppan for six months awaiting trial (October 1901-April 1902)
Source: Radford University Department of Psychology, State Library of Massachusetts
Barnstable County District Attorney's Office · MA
DA Lemuel Holmes charged and prosecuted Toppan for murder
Source: Agency involvement: Barnstable County District Attorney's Office
Places Lived, Worked and Frequented
Each place and date range comes from a cited record. Dates marked approximate are as reported. Know a place that is missing? Use Edit record under the photo; a moderator reviews it before it appears.
MA
Boston, Massachusetts
1854 – 1863 · Born in Boston to Irish immigrant parents; resided with biological family until placed in Boston Female Asylum in February 1863
Boston, Massachusetts
1863 – 1864 · Boston Female Asylum
Lowell, Massachusetts
1864 – 1885 · Indentured servant in the home of Ann C. Toppan; took on Toppan surname and name Jane
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1885 – 1889 · Cambridge Hospital nursing training and employment; suspected of multiple patient poisonings, never formally admitted
Boston, Massachusetts
1888 – 1890 · Massachusetts General Hospital nursing training and employment; received glowing recommendations from doctors in 1888 but was eventually dismissed in 1890 for violating ward rules
Boston, Massachusetts
1890 – 1895 · Private duty nursing in Boston area; established successful nursing practice despite petty theft and embellishment of credentials
Cambridge, Massachusetts
1890 – 1890 · Returned briefly to Cambridge Hospital before dismissal for reckless administration of opiates
Cambridge, Massachusetts
approx. 1895 – 1901 · Lived in Cambridge while working as private nurse; murdered Israel Dunham and his wife Lovey Dunham at their home; murdered Elizabeth Brigham at Cape Cod
Bourne, Massachusetts
1900 – Oct 1901 · Private duty care provider for Alden Davis family at summer home in Cataumet (Bourne); poisoned Mattie Davis, Genevieve Gordon, and Alden Davis between July and August 1901
Barnstable, Massachusetts
Oct 29, 1901 – Jun 23, 1902 · Barnstable County Jailhouse; held during trial proceedings
Taunton, Massachusetts
Jun 23, 1902 – Aug 17, 1938 · Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane; committed for life following not guilty by reason of insanity verdict
NH
New Hampshire
Sep 1901 – Oct 1901 · Traveled to Amherst, New Hampshire to visit old friend Sarah Nichols after being kicked out by Oramel Brigham in late September
Amherst, New Hampshire
Oct 29, 1901 – Oct 29, 1901 · Arrested for murder of Minnie Gibbs
Timeline
Mar 31, 1854
Jane Toppan (born Honora Kelley) born in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish immigrant parents.
Feb 1863
Honora and her sister Delia placed in Boston Female Asylum after their father Peter Kelley requested their admission.
1864
Honora indentured to Ann C. Toppan of Lowell, Massachusetts and took the name Jane Toppan.
1885
Jane Toppan began nursing training at Cambridge Hospital in Boston.
1887
Jane attempted to poison Amelia Phinney at Cambridge Hospital; Phinney survived and later recognized Jane after her 1901 arrest.
1888
Jane received glowing recommendations from Cambridge Hospital doctors and transferred to Massachusetts General Hospital for advanced nursing training.
Jun 1889
Jane broke ward rules by leaving without permission and was discharged from Massachusetts General Hospital without receiving her nursing license despite passing final exam.
1890
Jane returned to Cambridge Hospital briefly before being dismissed for reckless administration of opiates and concerns about patient deaths.
May 26, 1895
Jane poisoned Israel Dunham, her elderly landlord, age 77.
Sep 19, 1897
Jane poisoned Lovey Dunham, wife of Israel Dunham, age 87.
Aug 1899
Jane poisoned Elizabeth Brigham (her foster sister) with strychnine at a Cape Cod vacation home.
Dec 29, 1899
Jane poisoned Mary McLear, age 70, after being recommended by a doctor to provide care.
Feb 11, 1900
Jane poisoned Myra Conners with strychnine to take over her position as dining matron at the Theological School.
Jul 05, 1900
Jane poisoned Mattie Davis (wife of Alden Davis) with morphine and atropine over 7 days at the Davis home in Bourne.
Jul 26, 1900
Jane poisoned Genevieve Gordon (daughter of Alden Davis) with morphine and atropine at the Davis home in Bourne.
Aug 08, 1900
Jane poisoned Alden Davis with morphine and atropine at his home in Bourne, less than two weeks after poisoning his daughter Genevieve.
Aug 12, 1901
Jane poisoned Minnie Gibbs (Mary D. Gibbs, oldest Davis daughter) with morphine and atropine while Gibbs was dying.
Aug 26, 1901
Jane returned to Lowell to attempt to court Oramel Brigham (widower of her foster sister Elizabeth) and poisoned his sister Edna Bannister.
Aug 31, 1901
Captain Gibbs (Minnie Gibbs' father-in-law) summoned toxicologist Leonard Wood to exhume Davis family bodies to test for poisoning.
Sep 29, 1901
Jane attempted suicide by taking an overdose of morphine after Oramel Brigham rejected her advances.
Oct 29, 1901
Jane Toppan arrested in Amherst, New Hampshire for the murder of Minnie Gibbs.
Oct 31, 1901
Jane arraigned in Barnstable County; pleaded not guilty.
Dec 06, 1901
Grand jury assembled and formally charged Jane with four counts of murder in the deaths of the Davis family; she pleaded not guilty.
1902
Jane confessed to her defense lawyer and William Randolph Hearst's New York Journal that she had committed more than 31 murders.
Mar 31, 1902
Jane underwent psychiatric evaluation by panel of experts who determined she was insane; she confessed to 11 murders to the panel.
Jun 23, 1902
Jane Toppan tried for murder at Barnstable County Courthouse; trial lasted eight hours with jury deliberating for 27 minutes before finding her not guilty by reason of insanity; committed to Taunton State Hospital for life.
Aug 17, 1938
Jane Toppan died at Taunton State Hospital at age 84 after 36 years of incarceration.
Sources
Solve the Case is never the original source. Each item below is the public record a statement on this page rests on, with an archived copy where one exists.
News report ·
Agency involvement: Massachusetts State PoliceNews report · Acuity Medical Law ·
Jolly Jane: The Nurse Who Poisoned 31 Patients“She was arrested in October 1901, tried in 1902, found not guilty by reason of insanity, and committed to the Taunton State Hospital for the Criminally Insane, where she died in August 1938.”
News report · Wikipedia ·
Jane Toppan“Jane Toppan (born Honora Kelley; March 31, 1854 – August 17, 1938), nicknamed Jolly Jane, was an American serial killer who murdered 12 people in Massachusetts between 1895 and 1901, although she confessed to killing 31 and is suspected of killing more than 100.”
News report · Historic Horrors ·
Jane Toppan, An Unusual Type of Female Serial Killer“Jolly Jane Toppan was arrested on October 29, 1901...She made a confession to her lawyer that she had killed 31 people...She spent the remainder of her life in Taunton State Hospital.”
Other government record · Library of Congress ·
Toppan, Jane, 1854-1938 - LC Linked Data Service“Jane Toppan (March 31, 1854-August 17, 1938), born Honora Kelley, was an American serial killer...After her arrest in 1901, she confessed to thirty-one murders, but only twelve were confirmed.”
Other · Find a Grave ·
Jane Toppan (1854-1938) - Find a Grave Memorial“Jane Toppan (31 Mar 1854–17 Aug 1938)...Serial Killer. Her killing spree lasted from 1880 to 1901. She confessed to 31 murders, most of whom were patients that she was taking care of.”
News report · Encyclopedia.com ·
Toppan, Jane (1854–1938)“Toppan was charged with murder and jailed...she was found not guilty...She was sent to the Taunton State Asylum for the Criminally Insane, where she lived until her death in 1938.”
Other government record · State Library of Massachusetts ·
Trial of Jane Toppan“Jane Toppan (born Honora Kelley) was a Victorian-era serial killer who confessed to murdering 31+ people...In June of 1902, Toppan was brought before the Barnstable Superior Court on the charge of murdering Mary D. Gibbs and was found not guilty by reason of insanity.”
News report · Boston Magazine ·
TBT: The Arrest of Jane Toppan“Jane Toppan confessed to killing 31 people...On October 29, 1901, she was arrested and her murderous rampage was put to an end...In trial at the Barnstable County Courthouse, she was found not guilty by reason of insanity and sentenced to life at the Taunton Lunatic Asylum.”
Other · Radford University Department of Psychology ·
Radford University serial killer biography: Toppan, Jane“Jane Toppan was born Honora Kelley...1857...Jane slowly poisoned her and claimed this was the first victim that she hated...March 31st: Papers reported that Jane had undergone a psychiatric evaluation by a panel of experts who had determined that she was insane.”
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