“A Lovely Girl” author shines light on infamous Ma Duncan murder case
VENTURA, Calif.-A notorious local trial, that's been called the OJ Simpson Trial of its day, is the subject of a new book entitled "A Lovely Girl."
The author Deborah Holt Larson's father Bob Holt reported on murder and trial in Ventura the late 1950's.
Her story is about Canadian born Olga Kupczyk Duncan.
She was a pregnant Santa Barbara nurse when she was murdered off Highway 150 near Ojai in November of 1958.
The murder was orchestrated by her mother-in-law, Elizabeth Ann Duncan, known as Ma Duncan.
Ma Duncan hired two local men to kill her son Frank's wife who was 7 months pregnant.
They were executed in the San Quentin gas chamber on the same day.
It was the last triple execution in the state.
"Hollywood has come calling now a lot of books get optioned, this is an option that got sold, so you know there is no guarantee," said Larson," They want to develop it for a limited series on a streaming platform."
The book also tell the story of the author's childhood in Ventura during the trial.
The courtroom now serves as the city council chambers.
The women's jail used to being upstairs from the courtroom.
You can buy the book wherever books are sold.
For more information about her debut book visit https://deborahholtlarkin.com
Ventura Friends of the Library helped host the event, and has a big book sale coming up on Saturday, Nov. 18 outside Vons near the corner of Telegraph and Victoria.
For friends and book information visit https://venturafriendsofthelibrary.org
