Blanche Taylor Moore, The Oldest Woman on Death Row (Part 2)
Episode of Morbid · July 2, 2026 · 1 h 7 min
Morbid hosts Alaina Urquhart and Ash Kelley conclude the case of Blanche Taylor Moore, who poisoned Reverend Dwight Moore with arsenic and was sentenced to death.
Summary
In the second part of a two-part series, the Morbid hosts recounted the later crimes of Blanche Taylor Moore. After her boyfriend Raymond Reed's death, Moore misrepresented his will to his sons Ray and Stevie Reed to claim a share of his estate, and she became engaged to Reverend Dwight Moore, whose family found her behavior unsettling. Before and after their 1989 wedding, Dwight suffered repeated violent gastrointestinal illness, two exploratory surgeries that found no mass, and multiple emergency-room discharges.
A young cardiology fellow, Dr. David Wands, ordered a toxicology screen that revealed arsenic at about 20 times the lethal dose; the apparent intestinal masses on X-rays were explained as pooled arsenic. The State Bureau of Investigation took the case, exhumed Raymond Reed and James Taylor and found arsenic, and Moore was arrested in July 1989. Exhumations of her father and former mother-in-law also showed elevated arsenic.
The hosts described the 1990 trial, in which prosecutor Warren Sparrow presented scientific evidence, Dwight testified that Moore cut his hair in the hospital, and Moore gave rambling testimony blaming a man named Garvin Thomas whom the prosecution said did not exist. She was convicted of Raymond Reed's murder and sentenced to death; the hosts noted she remains on death row at 93. Along the way Ash Kelley criticized the U.S. healthcare system for overworked doctors, and the episode closed with a fun fact about orcas wearing dead fish as hats.
Chapters
- 0:00
Opening banter
The hosts chat about Wendy's, heartburn, and a chaotic week before starting part two.
- 4:31
Recap and new engagement
Urquhart recaps part one and describes Blanche's Kroger settlement, breast cancer surgery, and relationship with Dwight Moore.
- 8:27
The Reed estate dispute
Raymond Reed's sons discover Blanche misrepresented his will and refuse to share the life insurance payout.
- 11:35
Dwight's confession and Blanche's outburst
Dwight tells Blanche about his past affair, and Blanche later calls him wicked in front of his daughter Debbie.
Linked moment · 16:25Skip to 16:25 using a listen link in the info box.
16:25Wedding plans and mysterious illness
Dwight falls violently ill before the wedding, undergoes surgery for a mass that turns out not to exist, and recovers while away from Blanche.
- 30:20
Marriage and relapse
The couple marry in April 1989, but Dwight becomes gravely ill again and is repeatedly discharged from emergency rooms.
- 38:13
Arsenic discovered
Dr. David Wands orders toxicology tests revealing arsenic at 20 times the lethal dose, explaining the phantom masses.
- 44:17
The SBI investigation
Investigators interview Blanche, who offers shifting theories, and uncover her relationship with Raymond Reed and other suspicious deaths.
- 50:07
Exhumations and arrest
Arsenic is found in Raymond Reed and James Taylor, Blanche is arrested in July 1989, and more bodies are exhumed.
- 55:00
The 1990 trial
Prosecutor Warren Sparrow presents scientific evidence while Blanche testifies at length and blames a man named Garvin Thomas.
- 1:00:00
Verdict, sentence, and death row
Blanche is convicted of Reed's murder, sentenced to death, and remains the oldest woman on U.S. death row at 93.
- 1:03:44
Fun fact: orcas wearing hats
Kelley shares a fun fact about orcas wearing dead fish as hats and dolphins playing with puffer fish.
People
In the conversation
- Alaina UrquhartCo-host of Morbid, autopsy technician and author of the Butcher novels
- Ash KelleyCo-host of the true crime podcast Morbid
Discussed
- Blanche Taylor MooreNorth Carolina woman convicted of murdering Raymond Reed by arsenic poisoning and sentenced to death
- Dwight MooreUnited Church of Christ pastor who began dating Blanche Taylor Moore in 1986
- Raymond ReedKroger manager and Blanche Taylor Moore's longtime lover, who died in 1986
- James TaylorSinger-songwriter Patterson met at McLean Hospital
- David WandsUNC cardiology fellow who ordered the toxicology test revealing Dwight's arsenic poisoning
- Warren SparrowProsecutor in Blanche Taylor Moore's murder trial
- Mitchell McIntyreDefense attorney for Blanche Taylor Moore
- Jim SchutzAuthor who wrote about Constanzo's early life in Miami
Topics
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From the publisher
(Part 2 of 2) When the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation and Blanche was charged with the attempted murder, the arrest came as a shock to those who knew her. How was it possible that someone they all knew as “a sweet, Christian lady”—was an attempted murderer? And if she had been cunning enough to hide that side of herself from her community, what else had she been hiding?
Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 29, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.