Blanche Taylor Moore was born as Blanche Kiser on February 17, 1933, in Concord, North Carolina. She grew up in a challenging environment shaped by her parents. Her father, Parker Davis Kiser, worked as a millworker and was also an ordained Baptist minister. He struggled with alcoholism and had a reputation as a womanizer. Blanche later claimed that her father forced her into prostitution to pay off his gambling debts. He died in 1966 from a heart attack.

Blanche's mother was Flonnie Blanche Kiser, and she had a strong but difficult role in Blanche's life. As a child, Blanche exhibited unusual behavior. She often switched between quoting religious scriptures and discussing explicit topics, which made her stand out in her community.

In 1952, at the age of 19, Blanche married James Napoleon Taylor. He was a veteran and worked restoring furniture. The couple had two children, one born in 1953 and another in 1959. At the same time, Blanche began her career as a cashier at a Kroger store. She quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the head cashier by 1959, which was a significant achievement for a woman at that time.

As she navigated her adult life, Blanche faced personal challenges and changes in her relationships. In 1973, her husband Taylor died, also from a reported heart attack. After his death, she began dating Raymond Reid, the store manager. Their relationship lasted for several years.

In 1985, while dealing with her personal issues and lawsuits, Blanche met Reverend Dwight Moore. They began a relationship but had to keep it private due to her ongoing legal battles against Kroger. As her life progressed, she faced multiple health issues, including a diagnosis of breast cancer.

Blanche Taylor Moore's murder story began with the deaths of several men in her life. Her first husband, James Napoleon Taylor, died on October 2, 1973. The cause of his death was reported as a heart attack. In 1986, Raymond Reid, who was Moore's lover at the time, became ill. Initially diagnosed with shingles, he was hospitalized and died on October 7, 1986. Doctors later indicated he died from Guillain–Barré syndrome.

After Reid’s death, Moore started a relationship with Dwight Moore, a pastor. Shortly after their wedding on April 19, 1989, Dwight became extremely ill after eating food prepared by Moore. He was hospitalized several times and eventually diagnosed with arsenic poisoning, with tests showing he had 20 times the lethal dose of arsenic in his system.

Authorities started to investigate Moore after the poisoning incident. They learned about her past relationships and the suspicious deaths of her previous partners. Exhumations were conducted on the bodies of her husband, her lover, and her father. Autopsies revealed elevated levels of arsenic in all three bodies, confirming that their deaths were caused by arsenic poisoning.

On July 18, 1989, Blanche was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Raymond Reid, and assault with a deadly weapon in the attempted poisoning of Dwight Moore. Charges related to James Taylor and Dwight were later dropped after her death sentence was secured.

Her trial began on October 21, 1990. Fifty-three witnesses testified against her, refuting her claim that she never gave Reid food while he was hospitalized. Much of the critical evidence came from a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Reid’s family against the hospital, which revealed that Blanche had likely covered up prior toxicology reports.

On November 14, 1990, Blanche Taylor Moore was found guilty. Three days later, the jury recommended the death penalty, which was upheld on January 18, 1991. She remains on death row at the North Carolina Correctional Institution for Women as prisoner #0288088.

Despite being sentenced to death, Blanche has remained alive for over three decades due to automatic appeals. During her incarceration, she has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer, continues to write poetry, and maintains her innocence.