Episode 115: Alice Crimmins: A Mother's Trial by Fire

The case of Alice Crimmins is one that has fascinated true crime enthusiasts for decades. It’s a story filled with scandal, sensationalism, and a judicial system that seemed more focused on punishing a woman for her lifestyle than proving her guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

On July 14, 1965, Alice Crimmins’ two young children, Missy and Eddie Jr., vanished from their bedroom in Queens, New York. Their bodies were discovered days apart, and suspicion quickly fell on Alice. A beautiful, fashionable, and independent woman, she defied the traditional image of a grieving mother. Her social life, her affairs, and even her wardrobe were picked apart by investigators, the press, and, ultimately, the courtroom.

Alice’s trial in 1968 was a media circus. The prosecution leaned heavily on witness testimonies that changed over time, circumstantial evidence, and outright character assassination. Alice was questioned not just about her actions on the night of her children’s disappearance but also about her sex life and personal relationships. Prosecutors painted her as a cold, unfeeling mother whose free-spirited lifestyle made her capable of murder. Her emotional outbursts in court, rather than being seen as the reaction of a woman wrongfully accused, were used to fuel the perception that she was erratic and unstable.

Despite the flimsy case against her, Alice was convicted of manslaughter in Missy’s death. But this wasn’t the end. Her conviction was overturned due to trial-related misconduct, only for her to be charged again in 1971—this time for the murder of her son. Another conviction followed, but in 1973, the New York Supreme Court ruled that her murder conviction should be overturned. The cause of Eddie Jr.'s death had never been confirmed as a homicide, and the court found that key testimony against her had been unfairly prejudicial.

Even after this, Alice’s legal battle continued. In 1975, her manslaughter conviction was reinstated, and she remained in prison until she was finally paroled in 1977. By then, she had married her long-time lover, Anthony Grace, and after her release, she vanished from public life.

Alice Crimmins’ story remains an unsettling example of how societal perceptions of women—especially mothers—can shape the outcome of a trial. Was she a grieving mother who suffered a terrible miscarriage of justice? Or was she a calculating woman who got away with murder? Decades later, the truth remains elusive, leaving behind a case that is still debated today.