Louise Peete

Case identification

Louise Peete (born Lofie Louise Preslar; September 20, 1880; Bienville, Louisiana) was an executed American murderer. She was one of only four women executed in the California gas chamber. She was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin State Prison on April 11, 1947.

Timeline

• September 20, 1880 — Louise Peete was born in Bienville, Louisiana.
• 1903 — She married a traveling salesman named Henry Bosley.
• 1906 — Henry Bosley committed suicide after discovering her in bed with another man.
• May 30, 1920 — Jacob Charles Denton disappeared; he was later found buried in the basement and shot in the back.
• Sep. 23, 1920 — Denton’s body was found.
• Oct. 28, 1920 — Louise Peete was indicted for murder.
• Feb. 17, 1921 — She was sentenced to life imprisonment for the Denton murder.
• 1924 — Richard C. Peete was found in a third-rate Tucson Hotel and died by suicide.
• Apr. 11, 1939 — She was paroled.
• 1944 — Margaret Logan disappeared.
• Dec. 20, 1944 — Detectives searched the Logan place and found the body after digging near an avocado tree.
• May 28 — The jury returned a verdict of first-degree murder.
• June 1, 1945 — She was sentenced to death.
• April 11, 1947 — She was executed at San Quentin, California, in the gas chamber.

Background

Louise Peete was born as Lofie Louise Preslar in Bienville, Louisiana. Her family was relatively wealthy, and she received an expensive education, but she was expelled from school for inappropriate behavior.

In 1903, she married Henry Bosley, a traveling salesman. After Henry Bosley committed suicide following discovery of Louise with another man, she spent time in Boston working as a high-class prostitute and stealing from her clients. She later moved back to Waco, Texas, where she became involved with wealthy oil baron Joe Appel.

She was accused of Joe Appel’s murder, with his jewelry missing. She convinced a grand jury that she had defended herself from rape.

In 1913, she married Harry Faurote, a hotel clerk. He later committed suicide after finding her with another man.

In 1915, in Denver, she married Richard Peete, a salesman. They had a daughter, but Peete abandoned them and moved to Los Angeles.

In Los Angeles, she lived with Jacob C. Denton, another oil magnate. Denton disappeared in 1920. By the time his lawyer had police search his house, Peete had returned to her husband in Denver. Denton’s body was found, and Peete was charged with his murder. She was sentenced to life imprisonment but was released after serving 18 years. During her prison time, her husband killed himself.

After her release, she worked as a housekeeper for Jessie Marcy, who died not long afterwards. An elderly co-worker also died under suspicious circumstances. The deaths of Marcy and the elderly co-worker were attributed to natural causes.

She later worked for Emily Dwight Latham, who had helped secure her parole. Latham also died, and Latham’s death was attributed to natural causes.

She then became a housekeeper in Pacific Palisades, California, for Arthur C. Logan and his wife Margaret. She married a man named Lee Borden Judson. Margaret Logan then disappeared.

Suspicion arose because of poor forgeries of Margaret Logan’s signature on checks and letters presented to her parole officer. Judson was acquitted of any involvement, but committed suicide the day after he spoke to police.

The offence

Murder of Jacob Charles Denton

Jacob Charles Denton disappeared in 1920. His body was found later, buried in the basement and shot in the back, with a bullet in his spine reported. Louise Peete was charged with his murder.

Murder of Margaret Logan

Margaret Logan disappeared in 1944. Investigators searched the Logan home and found evidence including earth near an avocado tree and buried remains in the yard. Margaret Logan’s body was found with injuries described as being shot in the back and having the skull crushed.

Autopsy findings described her death as resulting from being shot and beaten with a blunt instrument, with blows to the head described as the immediate cause of death.

Investigation and arrest

After Denton’s disappearance, a search of the house took place. Denton’s body was later found buried in the basement. Louise Peete was indicted for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment.

After Margaret Logan disappeared, investigators became suspicious due to forgeries of her signature and parole-reporting issues. Detectives found that parole reports had been forged and traced the circumstances to the Logan home. On Dec. 20, 1944, detectives excavated near an avocado tree and found Margaret Logan’s body. Louise Peete was brought back to the scene and was questioned.

During questioning and after a statement nine pages long, she admitted burying Mrs. Logan’s body while denying that she murdered Margaret and instead claiming Arthur Logan had killed Margaret and that she buried the body and had him committed.

Investigators also found evidence in Louise Peete’s bedroom and in the living room, including a .32-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver initialed “E.B.L.” and blood traces and a smashed .32-caliber slug.

Trial

Denton murder trial

Louise Peete was tried for the murder of Jacob Charles Denton. The jury convicted her of murder. The jury recommended life imprisonment instead of death. She did not testify at the trial.

She was sentenced to life imprisonment at San Quentin on Feb. 17, 1921.

Logan murder trial

Louise Peete was later tried for first-degree murder involving Margaret Logan. She was defended by a public defender and tried before Judge Harold B. Landreth and a jury of 11 women and one man.

The State introduced the transcript of the Denton trial as evidence of parallels. The jury returned a verdict of first-degree murder on May 28, with no recommendation for mercy.

On June 1, 1945, Judge Harold Landreth sentenced her to death.

Sentencing

• Feb. 17, 1921 — Sentenced to life imprisonment for the Denton murder.
• June 1, 1945 — Sentenced to death.

Appeals

Her appeals failed.

Outcome

Louise Peete was executed in the California gas chamber on April 11, 1947 at San Quentin State Prison.

Her age at execution was stated as 66 in one summary account. Another account described her as 59 at the execution.

Lee Judson was acquitted of any involvement in Margaret Logan’s murder and later committed suicide the day after speaking to police.

Aftermath

Louise Peete was interred in Angelus-Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles.

At the execution, she entered the gas chamber at 10:03 a. m. and was pronounced dead at 10:13 a. m.

Witness accounts described her final demeanor and statements made in prison, including a quoted line: “I have never been an aggressive woman”.

During a parole period, she was paroled on Apr. 11, 1939 and walked out of Tehachapi.

During the period following her release, she used the name “Anna B. Lee” and later “Anna Lee”.