Web of confusion over real name of ‘Black Widow’
HALIFAX— An elderly woman whose identity shifted before and after convictions for killing and poisoning men is once again at the centre of confusion over what her last name truly is.
Melissa Ann Shepard, who became known as the “Black Widow,” departed a Nova Scotia prison this month after serving her full sentence for spiking her newlywed husband’s coffee with tranquilizers.
On March 18, the Halifax police issued a public warning on its website about the 80-year-old’s release, stating her identity is Melissa Ann Shephard, with a second “h,” but it appears that spelling is not correct.
The release notes she has a history of offences dating back to 1992 that include a conviction for manslaughter of a former husband who she ran over with a car, and in 2013 for administering a noxious substance to Fred Weeks. Police spokeswoman Const. Dianne Woodworth says the announcement’s spelling of her name is based on Correctional Service Canada documents.
A spokeswoman for the federal prison service says the spelling is based on a court document from the Nova Scotia Supreme Court that committed Shepard to serve her time at the Nova Institution in Truro
However, the executive director of the Nova Scotia Judiciary says that when Shepard’s trial was held in 2013, the court used the spelling without the second “h”.
“I think it was just a clerical error,” Margaret MacInnis said in a telephone interview, when asked about the additional “h” in the warrant of committal document sent to the federal prison.
“At the earliest stage of the proceeding, the court confirmed the identification of the accused in the case . . . In this case, that name is ‘Shepard,’ ” she wrote in an email.
The Canadian Press contacted a family member in Pictou, N.S., who also confirmed the spelling of Shepard, the name of her former husband in Prince Edward Island. In a followup email, Woodworth said if Correctional Service Canada notifies police of an error, “we would be pleased to amend this.”