Clementine Barnabet


Clementine Barnabet was a woman who was convicted of one murder and confessed to many more.

Early life

Clementine Barnabet is believed to have been born around 1894 in St. Martinville, Louisiana to Raymond Barnabet and Nina Porter. She also had one brother named Zepherin. Barnabet's father reportedly abused his family, which moved to Lafayette in 1909.

Killing patterns

Barnabet's killings followed a consistent pattern: she would often murder entire families rather than one person, using an axe for butchering her victims and cutting off their heads.

Investigation

Barnabet's first murder occurred in February 1911. While Raymond Barnabet was awaiting trial, another familicide took place. In November 1911, Norbert and Asima Randall and their four children were murdered in a manner similar to the previous slayings.

Arrest

Eventually Barnabet confessed to 35 murders. She explained her connection to the Church of Sacrifice, an offshoot of a Christ's Sanctified Holy Church congregation in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Clementine claimed that a priestess of the Church of Sacrifice had given her and her friends "conjure bags" that would grant them supernatural powers and make them undetectable to the authorities. This spurred Barnabet into committing her first murder to test whether or not this was true.

Sentencing and disappearance

At only 18 years old, in October 1912, Clementine Barnabet was sentenced to life in prison at Angola State Penitentiary. In July 1913, she tried to escape jail but was caught. However, in August 1923, Barnabet was released from prison, after which no knowledge exists on her whereabouts.