Black Widow Grandma Charged With Murder Of Husband Whose Scalp Was Found In A Bag

Michael Harris said his grandmother often talked about the best way to get rid of a body, including telling him that you have to stab a corpse before putting it into water so that it won't float, and telling him that a perpetrator could use a victim's heart medication to make it appear as though they had a heart attack.

May 02, 2019
Mug shot of Virginia Hayden [York County Sheriff's Office]

Photo by: Mug shot of Virginia Hayden [York County Sheriff's Office]

Mug shot of Virginia Hayden [York County Sheriff's Office]

By: Catherine Townsend

YORK COUNTY, PA — A Pennsylvania grandmother has been charged with the murder of her husband, whose bloody remains were found in a FoodSaver bag seven years ago.

Police have arrested Virginia L. Hayden, 67, in connection with the 2011 murder of her third husband, 62-year-old Thomas Hayden.

Virginia, who stands just 5 feet tall, looks like an unlikely villain. But in addition to the criminal homicide charge, Virginia faces 64 additional counts that include forgery, theft, conspiracy, and tampering with public records, according to PennLive.

Authorities allege that after her husband was out of the picture, she continued to cash in his Social Security benefits. She allegedly received almost $117,000 in Social Security benefits intended for her husband that were deposited into a joint account.

Police say she also forged his signature on a deed transfer for the home, which allowed her to sell the residence.

In 2012, a man walking down a road in Dover Township found a human scalp with hair that appeared to be tied in a ponytail inside a plastic, vacuum-sealed FoodSaver bag. Pieces of what was described as a bloody bedsheet were also found inside the bag — and according to the arrest affidavit, this finding "supports the conclusion that he (Thomas Hayden) died a violent death."

The remains were sent to the state crime lab, but investigators were unable to find a DNA match at the time.

In January 2017, Thomas Hayden's daughter Kim Via called police and told them that she had been unable to contact her father. Each time she tried calling him, according to the criminal complaint, Virginia answered the phone and told her that her father didn’t want to talk to her.

After she asked police to do a welfare check, police began an investigation. They soon learned that no one had heard from Thomas since 2011. A former neighbor said that Virginia told him that Thomas died after traveling to Mexico for treatment for ALS.

Another former neighbor recalled that Virginia had a concrete slab poured in her backyard.

Virginia told police that Thomas had traveled to Mexico in 2011 for treatment — and insisted that she had been "telling people he was dead because it was less embarrassing than admitting he had left her."

One problem with the Mexico story is that, after getting a warrant to search her apartment, police discovered that Virginia still had his driver’s license, passport, and Social Security card.

But according to Virginia's daughter Carolyn Cooksey, her mom often talked about the best way to dispose of a body. "Seemingly unprompted, she explained that pigs would eat every part of a corpse except for the skull," The Washington Post reported.

Her grandson Michael Harris reportedly heard the same speech from Hayden. He told investigators that his grandmother often talked about the best way to get rid of a body, including telling him that you have to stab a corpse before putting it into water so that it won't float, and telling him that a perpetrator could use a victim's heart medication to make it appear as though they had a heart attack.

Harris told police that the comments did not alarm him at the time.

Harris' body has never been found. The investigation continues.

Read more: The Fayetteville Observer, York Daily Record , The Washington Post, PennLive

Next Up

True Crime News Roundup: Millionaire Robert Durst On Trial For Murder

A woman allegedly killed her newborn after delivering; the lawyer whose wife and son were murdered in June was shot in the head; and a toddler died after suspects police believe are students shot up his family’s home.

A Man’s Family Is Certain He Was Wrongly Convicted Of Murdering His Pregnant Wife In 1997

Rodney Patrick McNeal is in prison after authorities say he murdered his wife in a fit of rage in 1997. His family has been adamant about his innocence ever since.

UPDATE: Fugitive Leticia Smith from ‘In Pursuit With John Walsh’ Captured In Mexico

Authorities confirm former fugitive, Leticia Smith was extradited from Mexico to California. Smith will face charges for allegedly killing her husband, Antione Smith.

Former Kansas University Soccer Player Dies At 25, Her Husband Is Accused Of Her Murder

If found guilty, 26-year-old Chad Joseph Marek could face up to life in prison for the murder of Regan Gibbs.

5 Things To Know About The Mysterious Staircase Death of Kathleen Peterson

In 2003, Michael Peterson went to jail for life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his wife, Kathleen — but that was just the beginning of the story.

Former 'Family Feud' Contestant Accused Of Murdering His Estranged Wife

Timothy W. Bliefnick allegedly fatally shot Rebecca Bliefnick on Feb. 23, 2023 while the couple was in the process of getting a divorce.

True Crime News Roundup: Woman Accused Of Killing Two State Troopers, Pedestrian In DUI Crash

Plus: N.C. man found dead on rural road; judge rules Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow to be tried together; Hillsong megachurch founder resigns; and Pamela Smart denied chance for reduced sentence.

Husband Of Missing Mother Who Searched 'How To Get Away With Murder’ Now Charged With Her Murder

55-year-old Elizabeth Capaldi was reported missing on Oct. 12, 2022. Her husband is now accused of strangling and dismembering her.

Secret Affair Led To Brutal Murder Of Delaware Woman Found With Neck Cut

The death of churchgoing grandmother Mary Anderson shocked her local community.

The Case Of Murdered Mom Renee Pagel Stayed Cold For Over Ten Years

Renee Pagel was recovering from donating a kidney when she was found stabbed to death in her bed on Aug. 5, 2006.