[The Internet Black Widow: Melissa Ann Shepard’s Trail of Deception]-[Melissa Ann Shepard: The Internet Black Widow]

Morbid · B2 · 2026-02-23

📋 Summary

The Deceptive Life of the Internet Black Widow

In this episode of Morbid, hosts Ash and Elena delve into the chilling criminal history of Melissa Ann Shepard, a woman frequently dubbed the "Internet Black Widow." Her pattern of behavior is consistent and deeply disturbing: she targets elderly, often lonely widowers, enters into "whirlwind" romances, and systematically exploits them for financial gain, all while leaving a trail of mysterious health declines in her wake.

The Case of Fred Weeks

The narrative begins in 2012 with Fred Weeks, a 78-year-old man in Nova Scotia who, following the death of his wife, met Shepard in their retirement community. Within weeks, the two were married. Almost immediately, Fred began experiencing unexplained dizziness and disorientation. During their honeymoon, Fred collapsed and was hospitalized, where medical tests revealed he had high levels of tranquilizers, specifically lorazepam and temazepam, in his system—drugs he had no memory of taking. Shepard later admitted to investigators that she had "dissolved" the medication into his coffee without his knowledge. She was eventually charged with "administering a noxious thing with intent to aggrieve or annoy," a charge that reflects the bizarre and dangerous nature of her crimes.

A History of Malicious Exploitation

As the hosts point out, Shepard’s history is far more extensive than this single incident. Her criminal career spans decades, involving numerous aliases and convictions for fraud. One of the most harrowing cases involved Gordon Stewart, whom she married in 1991. After a short period of marriage marked by Stewart’s sudden financial ruin and health issues, he was killed after being struck by his own car while Shepard was driving. She claimed it was self-defense following an alleged sexual assault, but investigators found her story highly suspicious, noting that Stewart had a "lethal dose" of drugs in his system at the time, rendering him incapable of posing a threat. She was convicted of manslaughter but served only two years.

Later, in Florida, she targeted Robert Friedrich, an 81-year-old retired engineer. His children, particularly his son Dennis, grew suspicious as their father’s health plummeted whenever he was with Shepard and improved whenever he was hospitalized or away from her. Despite their efforts to protect him, Shepard eventually gained power of attorney and drained his estate before his death in 2002. Similarly, with her next victim, Alex Stratigos, she used ice cream to mask the taste of the drugs she fed him, leading to his rapid decline and hospitalization within just 60 days of their relationship.

The "Black Widow" Profile

Experts like Eric Hickey describe Shepard as an "acute danger to society." Her modus operandi is calculated and sophisticated; she views her victims as mere "objects" to facilitate her lifestyle. Despite her convictions, she has consistently maintained her innocence, often framing herself as a victim of circumstances or simply a woman "looking for love."

Conclusion: A Cycle of Deception

Even after her release from prison in 2016, Shepard’s behavior remained problematic, including violating her release conditions by accessing the internet. The hosts conclude by expressing their profound sympathy for the victims and their families, emphasizing that the "Internet Black Widow" has caused irreparable damage to the lives of those who simply sought companionship in their "twilight years." The episode serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers lurking behind seemingly harmless, whirlwind romances, reminding listeners to stay vigilant against those who would exploit the vulnerability of others for selfish gain.

🎯Key Sentences

I don't know how to describe his content.

I have so much to say.

Maybe in the future.

I don't think I can smize.

I just want to clear the air on something.

Expand All

📝Key Phrases

hit it off

clear the air

knock it out of the park

chocker block full

get the hype

Expand All

📖 Transcript

Hey weirdos, on top of your head, I am Ash.

On top of your head, I am Elena.

And this is Morbid on top of your head.

We were just watching.

If you're not following Marty Miller on TikTok, you've made a great mistake.

Truly.

That's... that's that's a thing it's a thing i had a boss that used to whistle for me so like not in a hot way in a like i need you to come do this is there a hot way to whistle at you no well i was saying like like how people would be like oh he wasn't he wasn't sexually harassing me just to be clear yeah but it was more like come do this and i was like oh you were like fuck you no i don't want to work oh you were you were better at you didn't say fuck you bitch no uh no uh no no all right um yeah i don't think there's i'm trying to think oh what this is just another personal thing what's up um i i'm very late to the party on this but i have to say it i finally got to sit down and watch sinners yeah me and john have been wanting to watch it for fucking months and months and months And the girls had a sleepover with Auntie Titi.

Fred chills to the max. poor fred loses his wife yeah finally gets back out there and this is the first woman he encounters first woman i'd be like i will never get back out there i'm hanging up my suspenders at that point we're not we're not going out on the town anymore no i know i would say we're gonna go ahead and watch a lot of television we're getting a hobby i was just gonna say we're gonna pick a hobby yeah perhaps we'll crochet yeah maybe model trains sour sourdough yeah sourdough sourdough know if you will perhaps but yeah um so under normal circumstances an elderly woman attempting to poison her husband would have garnered a pretty small amount of attention from the press yeah you know unfortunately those things don't really get a lot of heat on them it would have faded away a larger story would have come along la-di-da-do but in this case it didn't take long for the press to learn that this wasn't the first time melissa had been suspected or convicted of attempted murder she actually had a criminal history in two countries that went back decades holy shit including a lot of crimes that were very similar to this one that she had just perpetrated only with a much worse outcome oh no So she reached a lot of notoriety through this whole internet Black Widow thing.

For one thing, when an autopsy was performed on Gordon, tests showed a quote-unquote lethal dose of various drugs in his system at the time of death, which meant that not only would he have been too sedated to pose a threat to anyone, he almost certainly wouldn't have been able to drive a car either.

Because... if i have to get mean with someone i feel like hot garbage inside it doesn't do anything like good for my soul no not only they fucking deserve it and then i feel great but then it like sends her through the roof you know i'm clapping for her yeah but like not even like having to be mean to somebody even if i'm like oh fuck was i friendly enough like that trap i'm literally the kind of person where i'm like did i say thank you like was i polite you know what i mean mean like that trashes my soul it just it really does it trashes your soul to like be yucky shitty yeah and it's like that's i can't imagine living that way don't be a bitch don't be a bitch no just be a hot bitch yeah don't be a bitch be a bad bitch don't be like a bitch be a bad bitch be a be a bad bitch exactly thank you our advice to you that's our ted talk So unfortunately, Melissa's still at it.

Where's my wallet? so that obviously um caught alex off guard but also he's he's young he's getting it he's back on the horse he's getting out here he's like maybe this is how things are now yeah he doesn't know you know it's been a while he's like i don't want to ruin this so he's like you can stay with me don't worry about it nice guy yeah he said later she was a real classy lady i was lonely and she was a woman she She was a real classy lady.

Oh, and you need that. so that's an interesting fact that's it's like when i think too much about having a brain now i'm thinking about my brain being hungry and snacking on itself now you can kind of feel your brain i think i do want oh no stop ah i hate it sloshing not sloshing why do you say sloshing i mean it is kind of sloshing is it a little bit i feel like is it moving is that why i have a headache it's around When you get a concussion, it's because your brain slams against the side of your skull.

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