What happened to 15-year-old Lelia “Lee” Long remains one of Iowa’s most haunting unsolved mysteries.
Lelia lived with her father, Jeremiah Long, and stepmother, Anna Long, on a farm near Hampton, Iowa, in Franklin County. On June 21, 1896, what began as an ordinary Sunday ended in tragedy when the teenager suddenly became ill and died after suffering violent convulsions.
Earlier that day, the family had attended church before returning home. Later in the afternoon, as a thunderstorm approached, Lelia went outside to watch the weather. Moments later, her father heard what he described as a cry of agony and found her collapsed on the ground. She was carried into the house, where her condition rapidly worsened. Despite efforts to help her, Lelia died within minutes.
Her sudden death immediately raised suspicions. Doctors discovered no signs of disease or injury during an autopsy, but toxicology testing revealed strychnine in her stomach. Investigators later found a strawberry containing crystals of the poison, leading authorities to conclude that the deadly substance had been administered in a single berry.
Rumors spread throughout the community. Some neighbors and relatives claimed Lelia had been mistreated and harshly disciplined by her stepmother. Others defended the Long family, describing them as caring parents who provided for the girl. The conflicting testimony became a central issue during the investigation and subsequent trial.
A coroner’s jury determined that Lelia died from strychnine poisoning but could not identify who administered it. A grand jury later indicted Jeremiah and Anna Long for murder. Their highly publicized trial began in April 1897 and drew large crowds to the Franklin County Courthouse.
After hearing weeks of testimony, jurors deliberated for 24 hours before finding both defendants not guilty. The verdict left many unanswered questions. Since only Lelia and her parents had access to both the strawberries and the poison, speculation continued long after the trial ended.
More than a century later, the death of Lelia Long remains unsolved, leaving historians and true-crime researchers to wonder whether she was murdered or if another explanation has been lost to time.
Source: Iowa Unsolved Murders: Historic Cases
Author: Nancy Bowers
Original Article: “The Poison Strawberry: Murder of Lelia Long (1896)”
