June 14, 1934
Near Oneonta, New York
Eva Coo and Martha Clift murder one of Coo’s employees for insurance money
Eva Coo was given responsibility over an employee with a intellectual disability by the name of Harry Wright (who was given the unfortunate nickname “Gimpy”) when Wright’s mother passed away. Coo was granted $2000 of the mother’s inheritance in exchange. Coo embezzled even more of the inheritance, burned down Wright’s house to collect on the insurance policy upon the house, and took out several life insurance policies on Wright (as well as other employees, family, and friends) naming herself as the benefactor.
On July 14, 1934, Coo and an employee named Martha Clift took Wright to an isolated area. Coo claimed to have hit him over the head with a mallet before one of the women ran over his body to disguise the murder as a hit and run (both women claimed the other ran Wright over). Clift turned state’s evidence against Coo in exchange for leniency and served 13 years for her part in the murder. Coo was executed in the electric chair June 27, 1935.
