Barbara Graham

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Barbara Graham (1923-1955) was an American criminal and murderer who was executed in the gas chamber at San Quentin in 1955 along with two accomplices. Graham, a prostitute and a drug addict, had been convicted of beating an old woman to death during a botched robbery.

Actress Susan Hayward later won an Academy Award for playing Graham in the film I Want To Live!. The film strongly suggests Graham was innocent. However, the film is largely fiction, and evidence clearly pointed to her guilt. In addition, two people claimed the San Quentin warden told them after the execution that Barbara had confessed the crime to him.