James Bernard Lammers was born on July 16, 1924, in the United States. Very little is known about his early childhood, family life, or educational background. By 1950, he was married to Geneva Orr Lammers, who was seven months pregnant with their fourth child. The couple had three young children already: Laura Mae, age 3; Melva Jean, age 2; and LaVern Francis, just 9 months old.

At the time, the Lammers family had relocated to Troy, Kansas, where James had found temporary work as a bulldozer operator. The family lived in a modest trailer home and had only been there for eight weeks before tragedy struck. After six weeks on the job, James was fired, placing financial and emotional strain on the household.

Behind the scenes, Lammers was also involved in a long-running extramarital affair with a woman named Zada Spencer, who was unaware that he was married. According to court testimony, Spencer and Lammers had been romantically involved for about a year, and even had a child together. James had told Spencer that his wife had died and that a friend had offered him a trailer and children to care for. He asked her to marry him under those circumstances, but she refused.

On December 12, 1950, James Lammers made a fateful decision that would result in the deaths of his entire family. According to his later confession, he strangled his 23-year-old wife, Geneva Orr Lammers, inside their trailer while their three young children slept. Geneva was seven months pregnant, making the total number of victims arguably five.

To cover up the murder, Lammers poured kerosene on his wife's body and set fire to the trailer, leaving the three children trapped inside. The next morning, on December 13, neighbors noticed the fire but were unable to save the occupants. All three children died from carbon monoxide poisoning in their sleep. The trailer was reduced to rubble.

Initially, investigators believed the fire had been caused by a faulty oil stove, and James was not immediately present. He returned to Troy on December 14, claiming he had been out of town looking for work. When questioned by police, Lammers tried to establish an alibi by showing receipts and taking them on a trip to Independence, Kansas City, and Topeka, but inconsistencies began to emerge. A gas receipt had been altered, and a letter he claimed to have sent on December 12 was dated December 14.

Upon returning to Troy, James was arrested on December 16, 1950, and formally charged with first degree murder. His reaction upon being told of the charges was: “Does it have to be as bad as that?” He later confessed in full, telling police that he had killed his wife and burned her body to hide the crime. He said he was overwhelmed by the pressure of parenting and terrified of having a fourth child. He had even taken Geneva to a doctor in Missouri to seek an abortion, but the doctor refused.

Due to the community’s outrage, Lammers was held in a private location for his protection. During his trial, the affair with Zada Spencer came to light. Spencer testified that James had misled her for a year and never disclosed his marriage. Her account was supported by a friend, though the defense argued that this testimony should be treated with caution.

James’s defense team argued that he was mentally deficient and could not appreciate the full weight of his actions. They presented witnesses who described him as having limited intelligence. However, the court-appointed doctors declared that Lammers was sane and fit to stand trial.

On March 7, 1951, the jury found him guilty of two counts of first-degree murder  for the killing of his wife and at least one child and sentenced him to death by hanging. His subsequent appeals were denied, and the execution was scheduled.

In the early hours of January 5, 1952, James Bernard Lammers was hanged at the Kansas State Penitentiary in Lansing. He declined a last meal and made no dramatic final statements. His last words were simply, “I have been treated very well.” The trapdoor was released at 1:01 a.m., and he was pronounced dead nine minutes later.