Arizona’s “Trunk Murders” case from the 1930s is a notable episode in the state’s criminal history. All eyes are on Winnie Ruth Judd, the young woman who became known as the “Trunk Murderess.”

In October of 1931, two huge trunks were being shipped from Phoenix to Los Angeles when the stench from them raised suspicions. The contents were the dismembered and partially mummified bodies of two people, identified as Agnes Anne LeRoi and Hedvig “Sammy” Samuelson. Both of these ladies were Judd’s friends.

After Winnie Ruth Judd’s arrest, the case received widespread media coverage. She said she was framed and that she killed the women in self-defense during a battle. The tabloid journalism, courtroom drama, and controversy that accompanied her trial were all part of the spectacle. Judd was found guilty, but he was ruled insane and committed to a psychiatric hospital.

True crime fans and anybody interested in the nuances of the human mind will never tire of the intrigue and mystery that is the Trunk Murders.