Barbara Luella Rivers v. United States

The appellant was convicted of murder in the first degree after trial in the District Court for the Territory of Alaska, First Division. She was sentenced to life imprisonment.

At the time of the alleged homicide, the appellant and her husband, Paul Rivers, were living at the Alaskan Hotel at Sitka. Some time during the night of December 3, 1957, Paul Rivers died or was killed. Late on the evening of December 5, the Sitka police received a telephone call from some then unidentified woman who reported that a man had been murdered at the hotel and his body dismembered and that portions of the body were scattered on the beach. The informant declined to identify herself but it afterwards appeared that it was the defendant-appellant.

On receipt of the call the police investigated and found Paul Rivers’ dismembered body, portions of it in the sea approximately one-half mile from the hotel, and portions upon the beach near the hotel. The head, upper torso, pelvis, arms and legs had apparently been thrown into the sea; the fingertips, toes, nose, lips, eyebrows and scalp were found at various places on the beach. Further investigation led to the apprehension of the defendant, and her…