Canadian woman, nicknamed ‘Black Widow,’ charged
Oct 5, 2012, 5:16 PM
SYDNEY, Nova Scotia (AP) – A Canadian woman nicknamed the “Black Widow” for her ability to persuade grieving widowers to marry her is accused of trying to kill her husband.
The husband of 77-year-old Melissa Ann Weeks fell ill at a bed and breakfast in Nova Scotia last weekend.
Prosecutor Diane McGrath said Friday that Weeks’ bail hearing will be Tuesday.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation has reported that the justice of the peace who presided at the Weeks’ wedding later warned police after seeing a news story about her. The justice, George Megeney, said police didn’t act on it.
Weeks has a lengthy criminal record. She was convicted of manslaughter in the death of a previous husband, Gordon Stewart, whom she dragged and ran over twice with a car in 1991. She served two years of a six-year sentence.
Weeks also was sentenced in 2005 to five years in prison for theft from Alexander Strategos, a Florida man she briefly lived with after they met online. Investigators said she stole about US$20,000 from him.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
