Haunted History: The Skull of Patty Cannon
Recently, I was given a mission that had led me down quite the rabbit hole - looking for a good image of the skull of the infamous Patty Cannon. There are many stories of how this artifact came to be in the hands of local citizens and just as many stories about where it is now located.
It led me to creating a replica of Patty Cannon's skull and to me meeting a local historian that gives a very interesting talk on Patty Cannon's escapades.
The skull mentioned in the article above currently rests at the Smithsonian Institution. There, it was tested for DNA, and the findings indicate that it is the cranium of a woman in her mid 60s, the same as she would have been at her death.
The challenge is that at one point, there were at least 2, possibly 3 individuals claiming to have this object in their possession, including one that lived in upstate New York. While the DNA evidence is compelling, unless a known descendent steps forward with their DNA to verify that it is indeed hers, the mystery will continue.
For many years, the Dover Public Library put this artifact on display around Halloween. They then put the skull on temporary loan to the Smithsonian, as it became less palatable and also likely around the time that Delaware passed the Unmarked Human Remains Act in 1987.
The replica I created now is displayed in the Old Sussex Courthouse in Georgetown, Delaware, which is open every Saturday from May through September 15, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Lucretia P. (Patty) Cannon (c. 1759/60–1829) was an American human trafficker, serial killer, and co-leader of the notorious Cannon–Johnson Gang on the Delmarva Peninsula (Maryland and Delaware) during the 1820s. She is considered by many to be America's first female serial killer.
Some of her crimes are summarized below:
Human Trafficking (The Reverse Underground Railroad)
• Kidnapping Free Black People: Following the 1808 ban on importing African slaves into the United States, Cannon and her gang operated a lucrative illegal network.
• Selling People South: They ambushed, drugged, or forcibly abducted hundreds of free Black Americans, runaways, and children, transporting them via the Reverse Underground Railroad down rivers and coastal routes to be sold into chattel slavery on Southern plantations.
• Tavern Headquarters: The gang operated out of a tavern and base near the Maryland-Delaware border (around Reliance and Johnson’s Crossroads) featuring hidden holding rooms and attics where captives were chained to the walls or floor.
Murders and Violence
• Serial Killings: Cannon confessed to nearly two dozen murders (and was implicated in up to 30) of kidnapping victims, uncooperative adults, infants, and even a white slave trader who was seen as an easy mark as he was carrying signficiant gold to buy slaves.
• Buried Remains: Farm tenants uncovered human remains of adults and children buried on her property, providing local authorities with the evidence needed to raid the farm.
Arrest and Death
• Arrest: In April 1829, local authorities arrested Cannon in Sussex County, Delaware, after the discoveries on her land and confessions from gang members like Cyrus James.
• Indictment: She was formally indicted in Delaware for four murders at the Sussex County Courthouse and was held in the County Jail on the circle in Georgetown.
• Death in Custody: While awaiting trial in the Georgetown, Delaware jail, Cannon died on May 11, 1829, believed to have committed suicide by poisoning herself. She was quoted as saying that she didn't want to be "hung to" in public (and on public display), which was likely why she took her own life.
Thanks for reading!
Carol A. Pollio, Ph.D.
Intuitive Investigations®
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