Alright, so I spent some time digging into the story of Jane Toppan recently. It wasn’t like a planned project, more like falling down a rabbit hole, you know how it goes.
I started off just reading the basic story. You see the name pop up here and there when people talk about old crime cases. So, I pulled up some articles, just trying to get the facts straight. Who was she? What did she actually do?
Getting into the Weeds
It’s one thing to read a summary, another thing to try and piece together the timeline. I found myself looking for more details. Not like, official investigator stuff, obviously, just trying to understand the sequence of events. You read about one victim, then another, and another. It gets kinda heavy.
Here’s sort of how it went down:
- First, just general reading, getting the overview.
- Then, trying to find slightly more detailed accounts. You look for patterns, mentions of motives, stuff like that.
- You start noticing the little, chilling details. Her background, how she operated, the stuff she reportedly said.
- Finally, you kinda step back and just… process it. It’s pretty grim material.
The whole thing is wild because she was a nurse. Supposed to be caring for people. That contrast really sticks with you. You read about her methods, using her position and knowledge to do the exact opposite of healing. It’s unsettling, makes you think a bit.
What Struck Me
What really got me wasn’t just the horror of it all, but how long it went on. How someone could operate like that, right under people’s noses. It wasn’t some mastermind plot in a movie; it felt messy, almost mundane in a terrifying way. Just opportunity and a complete lack of… well, humanity.
Spending time reading about this stuff, you kind of have to shake it off afterwards. Go do something normal, like fix a leaky faucet or argue about what movie to watch. It’s a stark reminder of the darker aspects of history and people. You learn about it, you document it (in your head, or notes, whatever), and then you have to put it aside and get back to regular life. It’s a weird kind of practice, digging into these old, dark stories. Not exactly fun, but definitely makes you think.
