Toxicology: Eva Rablen

By Lauren Kaufman and Beth Doerr

“A combination of brilliant reasoning and meticulous forensic analysis produced headlines across the United

States”

Background● Carroll Rablen was wounded in the war which left him deaf. When he came home,

he was married but it lasted less than a year● Became lonely so he began writing to women from a marriage agency and Eva

Young wrote back to him● In the letters between them, she made several dark comments

“If a man leaves me, I don’t want to see them. And I’ll make sure I can’t”

● He wanted his wife to be able to enjoy music even though he couldn’t so he would take her to local dances.

● At these dances Eva reveled in the attentions of multiple dance partners while her husband sat and silently watched

When and WhereTuttletown California April 29,1929

Key PlayersEva Rablen: (suspect) Poisoned her

husbands coffee with strychnine just before giving it to him.

Carroll Rablen: Victim (Left)

Key Players

Alice Shea: Woman that Eva bumped into just before taking coffee out to her husband. Her dress contained coffee stains which was found to have traces of poison in it.

Dr. Edward O. Heinrich: Known as the Edison of crime detection. He returned to chemical analysis to solve Carroll Rablen’s mysterious murder. When Rablen’s father didn’t believe that Carroll had died of natural causes the sheriff searched the house and underneath the stairs found a bottle of strychnine (purchased by Mrs. Joe Williams at a local drug store aka Eva). Heinrich re examined the corpse to find traces of the poison within the stomach and also found traces within the cup of coffee that Carroll drank from.

Evidence ● Alice Shea’s stained dress

● Bottle of poison found under the stairs (strychnine)

● Carroll’s coffee cup

● Trace of poison found in Carroll’s stomach lining

● Witness from pharmacy saying that Eva Rablen purchased the poison (She used an alias, “Mrs. Williams”)

Techniques UsedEvidence analyzed by Henrich-● Stomach contents - Henrich was able to isolate the strychnine● Poison bottle - strychnine traces ● Coffee cup- strychnine traces ● Carroll Rablen’s clothing● Rablens car- strychnine traces (in the upholstery) Handwriting● Henrich studied the signature Eva Rablen left when purchasing the strychnine● After a week, Henrich proved that the signature “Mrs. Joe Williams” was a forged

signature made by eva RablenSpilled Coffee● On her way to Carroll, Eva bumped into another woman on the dance floor and

spilled a little coffee● Analyzed the dress with the coffee stain - found to have traces on strychnine on it

OutcomeUpon hearing Dr. Henrich was involved in the case, Eva Rablen

pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without parole on June 10, 1929

Worked Cited http://murderpedia.org/female.R/r/rablen-eva.htm (background information)http://www.jcs-group.com/enigma/enforcement/detection.html (how Eva killed Carroll and Henrich’s

findings)http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTgWxOyRTwS5jnCjKl_wxegl1wr9HvSU3FrlhB7J6UtR_wFl8eneA

(Picture of strychnine)