Oops, I Married A Serial Killer

Genealogical research can take you many places, and this time it took me into the abyss of a true-crime drama, where I learned that a fellow Rowland had married a black widow serial killer. Donald Earl Rowland survived the enemy fire of war during his stint with the U.S. Army in Vietnam. However, a few years later, while in the prime of his life, Don would not survive the close-range gunfire of an experienced killer – his wife.

Ah, but I’ve gotten ahead of myself. Let’s go back to the beginning…

Bonnie Barbara Nichols

Bonnie Barbara Nichols was born on April 12, 1921, at Hatfield, Polk County, Arkansas. She was the sixth of ten children of Robert Aden Nichols and Mary Alice Fox, putting a complicated spin on being the middle child. Her early life was likely a common one for the citizens of rural Cove Township in Polk County, Arkansas, where her father was a farmer.

They lived just a few miles from the Oklahoma border, and Bonnie and her siblings attended school in nearby Mena. Bonnie graduated from Mena High School and afterward attended St Joseph’s Academy (St. Agnes Parish) at Mena.

Dead Husband #1 – self-defense, err I mean I accidentally pulled the trigger five times

In 1941, when she was 19 years old, Bonnie Barbara Nichols married Joseph Earl Connelly, age 24, at Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas. Joe’s family owned Connelly Press, a printing shop in Hot Springs. About 20 months later, the marriage produced a daughter.

The couple remained together for about 14 years, but in late 1958 or early 1959, they separated. A few months after the separation, on April 27, 1959, Mrs. Bonnie Barbara Connelly shot her husband twice – once in the abdomen and once in the back. Joseph Connelly, shot at the home of his estranged wife, somehow managed to escape. She fired three more shots at him as he drove away. In all, five shots were fired. He was found dead at the wheel of his parked station wagon about a half-mile away. Mrs. Connelly turned herself in and told officials “I shot him,” and authorities held her pending investigation. Bonnie was charged with first-degree murder and pleaded self-defense. ⁽¹⁾

On the eve of a hearing for her plea bond, Judge P. E. Dobbs signed an order committing her to the Arkansas State Hospital for a 30-day mental examination. The hospital report stated she was without psychosis, and Bonnie was competent to stand trial.

Before the trial began, Bonnie’s attorneys Richard Hobbs and B.W. Thomas filed suit on August 19, 1959, seeking $3,559.90 in fees owed to them. The Court previously granted them permission to withdraw from the case on the grounds they had not been paid and Mrs. Connelly would not cooperate with them. ⁽²⁾

Bonnie’s first-degree murder trial got underway on September 24, and new attorney Jack Holt presented her self-defense case. The jury found Bonnie Barbara Connelly guilty of second-degree murder, and the judge sentenced her to 14 years. ⁽³⁾

Not happy with that outcome, Bonnie appealed to the Arkansas Supreme Court. The court overturned the ruling and sent the case back for retrial. ⁽⁴⁾

During the second trial, Bonnie testified that Joe Connelly hit and abused her, and the .22 caliber pistol she was holding accidentally discharged. She claimed she did not remember pulling the trigger. Witness Fred H. Glidwell testified that Mrs. Connelly fired twice at Joe Connelly from a distance of about 10 feet, and then fired three more shots as he was driving away. ⁽⁵⁾

This time around, on September 22, 1960, the jury found Bonnie Barbara guilty of voluntary manslaughter and set a three-year prison sentence. ⁽⁶⁾

Still not happy, she appealed again. In September of 1961, the Arkansas Supreme Court affirmed both the conviction and the sentence. Bonnie Barbara, still free on bond, was ordered to begin her sentence on November 29, 1961. ⁽⁷⁾

Bonnie Barbara – fugitive husband slayer

However, Bonnie failed to surrender and fled the state. At that time, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was brought in, and they filed charges of unlawful flight to avoid confinement. No late photographs of Mrs. Connelly were available when the FBI entered the case. A family member found an old engagement photograph in Joe Connelly’s wallet and turned it over to the FBI. Then, FBI artists used it, along with descriptions from others, to create a composite picture. It turned out to be a striking resemblance to how Mrs. Connelly actually appeared some 23 years later. ⁽⁸⁾

The FBI tracked her down in Fredericksburg, Virginia, living under the name of Kitty Price, and they arrested her for unlawful flight. They also arrested A.C. Barentine, a Hot Springs resident, for harboring a fugitive. ⁽⁹⁾

Finally, in May 1962, Bonnie began serving her prison sentence at the Cummins Prison Farm in Lincoln County, Arkansas. However, after serving only 16 months, the state of Arkansas paroled Bonnie in September 1963. _⁽¹⁰⁾

Four years later, in June of 1967, Bonnie Barbara (Nichols) Hunter would file suit against the estate of Joe Connelly’s mother. Bonnie was seeking judgment for the ownership share in Connelly Press & Office Supply Co. that would have gone to Joe Connelly if he were still alive (and she hadn’t killed him). ⁽¹¹⁾

You can’t make this stuff up. Pay attention to the dates. This will come up again.

Dead Husband #2 – death by shotgun while butchering a goat

Soon after Bonnie was granted parole for killing her first husband, she meets William Thomas Hunter of Hot Springs, Arkansas. They obtained a license to marry in August of 1964. Less than a year later, Mr. Hunter is dead from a 16-gauge shotgun blast to the chest. And before you could say “I wonder if it was the wife again,” Bonnie Barbara (Nichols) Hunter is charged with first-degree murder in the shotgun slaying of her husband on July 5, 1965, in Hot Springs. ⁽¹²⁾

Not believing she could get a fair trial for a second dead husband in Hot Springs, she requested, and the judge granted, a change of venue. The trial got underway in nearby Malvern, Arkansas on September 7, 1965.

The prosecution’s case centered on the lack of bloodstains at the premises and the changing of three insurance policies making Mrs. Hunter the beneficiary. Several law enforcement officers testified that they found no bloodstains inside or outside the house and the kitchen floor appeared to have been freshly mopped. Also, there were no fingerprints on the shotgun. ⁽¹³⁾

All in all, state witnesses were perplexed by the lack of blood at the scene. Three doctors testified that he should have lost a quart of blood immediately. Police officers testified that they only found a few streaks of blood on his clothing. ⁽¹⁴⁾

In her defense, Bonnie claimed she did not kill her husband but found him already dead after waking up from a drugged sleep. She said she was “under medically prescribed sedation” for leg and back pain. She claimed that Mr. Hunter went outside to “kill and butcher a goat” and then later when she awakened, she found her husband dead in the yard. At that time, she then drug him back into the house, painted his wound with mercurochrome, and then fainted. When she came to, she covered him with a blanket, and then called the sheriff. ⁽¹⁵⁾

The Malvern jury found her guilty of manslaughter and sentenced her to two years. “Mrs. Hunter sat throughout the trial in a sleeveless white dress with colored designs on it. She wore flat-heeled casual shoes. The slender 45-year-old auburn-haired woman” showed no visible reaction to the verdict. ⁽¹⁶⁾ Don’t you just love the fashion commentary of a small-town murder trial?

Like clockwork, Bonnie appealed the verdict claiming her husband left not one, but three suicide notes. FBI analysts said the handwriting was that of her husband. Apparently, no one thought to question how he killed himself with a shotgun blast to the chest, why his fingerprints were not on the shotgun, why there were three suicide notes, or why the notes were not produced at the original trial. ⁽¹⁷⁾ However, the prosecution decided to drop the case, and Bonnie was a free woman again. Later in life, Bonnie would reveal that she had no qualms regarding forgery. You be the judge.

A Baseless Land Appeal

Having had multiple successes with the appeal process, the widow Bonnie Barbara (Nichols) Hunter, decided to appeal to the Supreme Court of Arkansas to reclaim title to about 80 acres of land in Garland County. She had arranged for the purchase of this property in February 1960, while she was appealing her second-degree murder conviction of husband #1, Joseph Connelly. However, rather than signing her own name, she signed as Gwen Combs (her sister) and Royce Nichols (her brother). She freely admitted to perpetrating this fraud “to avoid creditors.”

She was making the $50 monthly payments on the property until she became a fugitive. Since her brother Royce’s name was on the transaction documents, payment obligations fell to him. He was unable to make payments and subsequently sold the property to James E Dixon. He did not keep any of the proceeds for himself.

The high court unanimously rejected her appeal. “When a person embarks in a course of conduct tending to mislead others, he does so at his own peril,” the opinion stated. ⁽¹⁸⁾

Dead Husband #3 – death by pistol and hammer

Donald Earl Rowland was born on May 12, 1946, in Montgomery County, Arkansas to Freeman Rowland and Lessie Johnston. He served his country as a Specialist 4 in the 157th Quartermaster Company of the United States Army during the Vietnam War. Upon returning home, he married Bonnie Barbara Nichols on September 1, 1968, in Tarrant County, Texas. She was 47, and he was just 22 years old.

It is probably safe to say, Don was not fully aware he married a serial killer. Twenty-five years his senior, his new bride was not your run-of-the-mill serial killer praying on unknown victims. No, Bonnie Barbara was a serial husband killer. A true-to-life black widow and Don Rowland would soon become her third dead husband.

Don operated a service station in Winfield, Texas, and he and Bonnie lived in a trailer behind the station. It was 3:00 am, the early hours of Tuesday, November 4, 1969, when the city police department of Mount Pleasant, Texas received a phone call. The caller, Bonnie Barbara (Nichols) Rowland, stated that two men broke into their home and tried to rob her and her husband. She went on to explain her husband had been shot. She had managed to escape and was calling from a neighbor’s house.

Authorities arriving at the scene found Donald Rowland inside his trailer home dead, nude, and covered in blood. Officers found both a pistol and a blood-covered hammer near the body. He was badly beaten, although it was not clear which of the two weapons was the murder weapon. ⁽¹⁹⁾ The autopsy later declared he died from the gunshot wound.

Less than 36 hours after being called to the scene, investigators dismissed the “being robbed” story. They filed a murder charge at 3:45 pm on Wednesday, November 5, 1969, against Bonnie Barbara Rowland in the shooting death of her husband. The couple had been married just 14 months, and they had moved to Winfield, Texas about two months prior to the shooting. ⁽²⁰⁾

Recall earlier when I mentioned Bonnie’s suit against the estate of the mother of her first husband, Joseph Connelly. I told you to pay attention to the date. As a reminder, she filed that shameless suit in June 1967, after the death of her second husband, William Hunter.

On October 26, 1969, the Arkansas Supreme Court, an august body quite familiar with the antics of Bonnie Barbara, rejected the suit. Not only was she twice convicted of killing Joe Connelly, but the statute of limitations had expired. ⁽²¹⁾

Her ship did not come in. Her payday did not happen. One week later, she shoots husband number 3, Don Rowland. Coincidence? Almost every investigator will tell you they do not believe in coincidences.

Unfortunately, I was not able to locate any further records or newspaper articles relating to this third death case. There are many unanswered questions, including:

1. Did Bonnie ever stand trial for the murder of Don Rowland?
2. What was the verdict, and did she serve any time?
3. Is Bonnie receiving his military benefits?
4. Did Bonnie ever marry again, and if so, what happened to those husbands?
   Please contact me if you have additional information on this case. However, it is known that Bonnie lived another 30 years, and she reverted to using her maiden name.

The Appellate Queen Appeals Again

In 1980, Grace (Nichols) Cleveland, sister of Bonnie Barbara Nichols, filed a suit seeking to set aside a deed from their mother to Bonnie. Grace alleged the deed was a forgery and that their mother was incompetent at the time the deed was signed in 1976. Bonnie requested that Chancellor Chesnutt recuse himself, and he honored that request. The court found in favor of Grace, stating that their mother did not intend to divest title from herself and to Bonnie during her lifetime, and the deed and bill of sale failed as an attempted testamentary disposition. The deed of 1976 was canceled.

In true and predictable form, Bonnie Barbara Nichols did not accept the court’s ruling and filed an appeal. Since she had vast experience with appeals, Bonnie Barbara Nichols decided to represent herself. The court claimed the facts and pleadings were very complicated by Bonnie’s actions, including a 20-page typed pleading along with many handwritten exhibits and pleadings. Additionally, the case saw the recusal of two chancellors, and Bonnie’s attorney was allowed to withdraw.

Their mother had actually deeded the property to the girl’s brother Royce in April of 1976, but it was never recorded. Royce died in 1979, and Bonnie filed the forged version in June 1980. ⁽²²⁾

I don’t know about you, but this increases my previous suspicions that Bonnie was the author of the three mysteriously appearing “suicide” notes of William Hunter.

Bonnie Barbara Nichols – Conclusion

Bonnie Barbara Nichols, age 76, passed away on December 4, 1997, in Garland County, Arkansas. She is buried in Crestview Memorial Park Cemetery, Hot Springs, Garland County, Arkansas. She was survived by one daughter and no husbands.

——

References

1. ”Spa Slaying Suspect To Be Charged” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], April 30, 1959, pg 45.
2. “Spa Attorneys Sue Client for Fees” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], Aug 20, 1959, pg 6.
3. ”Judge Sentences Husband Slayer” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], September 29, 1959, pg 3.
4. ”Slaying Sentence Reversed” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], May 30, 1960, pg. 1.
5. ”Fatal Shot Was Accident, Mrs. Connelly Tells Court” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], September 22, 1960, pg 13.
6. ”Mrs. Connelly Convicted, Gets 3 Years” Hope Star [Hope, Arkansas], September 24, 1960, pg 1.
7. ”Sentence Upheld by High Court” Hope Star [Hope, Arkansas], September 19, 1961, pg 1.
8. ”Composite Picture Used by FBI in Apprehending Fugitive Slayer” Sentinel Record [Hot Springs], March 18, 1962, pg 1.
9. ”Searcy Leaves To Bring Back Mrs. Connelly” Sentinel Record [Hot Springs], May 4, 1962, pg 8.
10. ”Slayer of Husband Among 66 Convicts Receiving Parole” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], September 5, 1963, pg 17.
11. ”Woman Sues For Share Of Estate” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], June 24, 1967, pg. 3.
12. ”Murder Charges Filed Against Bonnie Hunter” Northwest Arkansas Times [Fayetteville], July 10, 1965.
13. ”Widow Named As Beneficiary, Trial Jury Told” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], September 8, 1965, pg 17.
14. ”Hunter Trial Expected To Go to Jury” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], September 9, 1965, pg. 4.
15. “Widow Says She Thinks Shooting of Her Husband In Yard Was Accidental” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], September 9, 1965, pg 15.
16. ”Mrs. Hunter Sentenced To 2 Years” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], September 10, 1965, pg. 12.
17. ”Wife Convicted In Death Asks For New Trial” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], December 22, 1965, pg. 17.
18. ”Bonnie Hunter Loses Appeal In Land Suit” Arkansas Gazette [Little Rock], December 20, 1966, pg.15.
19. ”Titus Man Found Dead At Home” Longview News Journal [Longview, Texas], November 5, 1969, pg. 1.
20. ”Three Husbands of Arkansas Woman Met Same Fate” The Camden News [Camden, Arkansas], November 7, 1969, pg. 2.
21. “Woman’s suit over estate is rejected” Arkansas Democrat [Little Rock], October 27, 1969, pg 11.
22. ”Nichols v. Cleveland, Arkansas Supreme Court Case No. 82-136” July 19, 1982, from leagle.com

——

See more stories of Untimely and Unnatural Deaths.