In 1959, a trial took place in the old Ventura County Courthouse – now Ventura City Hall – that was described at the time as bizarre, macabre and just plain weird. It drew reporters from around the world, and spectators lined up as early as 5 a.m. to try to get a seat in the courtroom.It was the trial of Elizabeth Duncan, who was accused of hiring two men to kill her daughter-in-law, 8 months pregnant at the time. Her motive? She couldn’t bear the thought of her grown son being married, of losing him to another woman.Ma Duncan herself ended up in the history books. She was the last woman put to death in the California gas chamber in San Quentin.