Marybeth Tinning

Serial killer who killed her nine children, one-by-one over a period of fourteen years

Marybeth Tinning, killed her nine children, one-by-one over a period of fourteen years.

Authors

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1 Marybeth Roe

Marybeth Roe was born 11 Sep 1942 in Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York about ten miles south of Schenectady to Alton Roe (d 1971) and his wife Ruth.  She graduated from Duanesburg Central High School in 1961.  She married Joseph "Joe" Tinning in 1965, an employee of General Electric, and son of Joseph Tinning and his wife Edna (who had married in 1937).


After the death of her third child Jennifer from brain abscesses and the death of her father Alton from a heart attack, she slowly killed her remaining eight infant children, one-by-one over a period of fourteen years : Barbara, Joseph, Jennifer, Timothy, Nathan, Michael, Mary Frances, Jonathan, Tami Lynne.  Most of the children only lived a few months, but the two eldest were several years old when she killed them.

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She was tried in 1987 just for the death of the last one Tami, who was killed Dec 1985, as the prosecution felt that was the only one they had enough evidence upon which to convict.  She was found guilty of murder in the second degree.  She is now living at the Bedford Hills Prison for Women in New York.  Her first parole hearing occurred in 2007 and parole was denied.

Primary sources


Secondary sources


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Further reading

  • Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 16: September, 1988-August, 1990. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1990. (BioIn 16)
  • Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 18: September, 1992-August, 1993. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1993. (BioIn 18)
  • Biography Index. A cumulative index to biographical material in books and magazines. Volume 23: September, 1997-August 1998. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1998. (BioIn 23)
  • World of Criminal Justice. Two volumes. Detroit: Gale Group, 2002. (WorCrJu)
  • Encyclopedia of World Crime. Criminal justice, criminology, and law enforcement. 1989-1999. Two volumes. By Jay Robert Nash. Wilmette, IL: History, Inc., 1999. (EncWCri)
  • Murder Cases of the Twentieth Century. Biographies and bibliographies of 280 convicted or accused killers. By David K. Frasier. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co., 1996. (MurCaTw)


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2 Alton Lewis Roe

Alton Lewis Roe was born in 12 May 1917 in Schenectady, New York to Clarence Roe and his wife Winifred.

He died of a heart attack 16 Oct 1971 and is buried in the Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery.

Primary sources

  • U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records 1938-46 showing : "Alton L Roe, born 1917 Schenectady, NY, Enlisted 12 Jun 1945 at Albany, New York, Private, Enlistment for the duration of the War... plus six months..., 1 year of high school, Married"

Secondary sources


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3 Ruth L

Ruth was born 23 Jan 1918.

She married Alton Roe by 1942 possibly in Schenectady County, New York where their first child Marybeth was born that year in Duanesburg, a small town near the town of Schenectady.

Ruth died 7 Feb 1998, her last residence is recorded in the SSDI as being Duanesburg, Schenectady County.

Primary documents

  • Social Security Death Index showing : "Ruth L Roe, born 23 Jan 1918, died 7 Feb 1998, SSN issued by New York, last residence Duanesburg, Schenectady County, New York"

Secondary sources

  • From Cradle to Grave, by Joyce Egginton. Jove Books, New York. 1990 Calling Marybeth's mother "Ruth Roe"

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4 Clarence Perry Roe

Born 23 Jun 1879 in New York.  About 1903/4 he married Winnifred "Winnie" Betts probably in Greene County where they both were living at the time.

Clarence and Winnifred are both enumerated in the 1930 census of Schenectady, New York.

Primary documents


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5 Winifred Betts

Born 1882/3 in New York, possibly in Greene County; to Lewis J Betts and his wife Emma.

Primary documents

Comments

Mary Beth Tinning

FYI: Tinning's in-laws, Edna and Joe Tinning, died in 2005 and 2005, respectively.

Her sister-in-law, Carol Tinning, died in 2001 at age 62. According to Joe Tinning's 2006 obit, Andy (Carol's widower) was engaged to a woman named Kathryn Kaiser.

Terry Callen - 26 Nov 2009