Ma Duncan: Mother-in-Law & Murderer

I know I’m not the only one transfixed by stories of awful mothers-in-law. Browsing these stories, I feel like I’m reading about awful villains devoid of compassion and common sense. The story of Elizabeth Ann Duncan, or Ma Duncan, is no different.

Ma Duncan, born in 1904, was a “drifter” with a Jocasta Complex. Ma married somewhere between 11 and 20 times throughout her life, often under the guise of inheriting money and allowing the men to cash in alongside her. She also operated a San Francisco brothel at some point.