Frank Belew was born approximately 1858 to Thomas and Bridget Ann Riley Fletcher Belew. He had four siblings. On August 1, 1888 in Colusa, Ca., he wed Tennessee Martin and they were living on and caring for her fathers ranch in Artois. They became the parents of two children. At some point W. D. Martin, Tennessees father, was at the ranch to do some work and while out in the field it started to rain. He gave Frank his cash, $500, to put in a drawer in the house so it would not get wet. Later when W. D. went to retrieve his money it was gone. Frank blamed a ranch hand and the authorities were sent to arrest him but soon realized that the ranch hand was not the culprit. Later on Frank showed up with a new pocket watch for his wife among other things. That was in Nov. 1889. It appears that Frank left the ranch before 1892 and moved to Solano Co., where his family had property and Tennessee and her boys went with him.

Sometime between 1894 and 1897 Tennessee left him and was at the hotel in Davisville that was being leased by her brother. J. L. Martin.

On November 7, 1897, because he felt he hadn't received a fair share of his father's estate, Frank poisoned his brother Louis and sister Susie at their home in Dixon. They died within 24 hours, and an analysis of the food and the water in the teakettle showed the presence of a large quantity of arsenic. Ironically, among the first to reach them was Frank. He helped the nurses make gruel, using the poisoned water and even held Susie's hands while she writhed in agony. At the funeral he was the chief mourner, and at first his guilt was not suspected. It wasn't until January when Frank's brother-in-law J. W. Bird came forward with a tale of Frank telling him prior to the murders that he had planned something that would get everyone's attention. It was after the murders that John Bird knew it was Frank. Frank was arrested in February and made a full confession two days later. He was sentenced to hang in June, eight months after the murders. Because his family didn't want him buried in the family plot at the Dixon Cemetery, his brother Arthur arranged for burial in Sacramento.

Frank also arranged for an attorney to sue to receive his share of Susie and Louis's estate as he felt his children should receive it. He apparently won and set case law for California.

This story was reported on in over 370 articles across the United States.

Supposedly the people buried in this cemetery were moved to other cemeteries in Sacramento, namely East Lawn and Sacramento City Cemetery. I have been unable to find written documentation of where Belew's remains were taken. Please read the intro about this cemetery. A very sad lesson to be learned. Somewhere in Sacramento are many very old headstones. Someone should be held accountable for this mess and there should be documentation.