A Documentary Record of the First Woman Hanged in Illinois includes copies of the actual documents found in the court files, explanations of the legal terms used and the laws in effect in the 1840’s.  Newly discovered evidence from her husband’s estate file, as well as interesting facts from the Lawrence County Commissioners’ records may have changed the outcome of the trial. In addition to the legal research by John King, there are biographies of the judge, jurors, and lawyers, as well as newspaper articles written at the time. Decide for yourself, based on the evidence, if you think Elizabeth Reed was guilty of poisoning her husband.