Janet McGown, a thirty-seven-year-old widow residing in Borgue, Kirkcudbright, found her life brought to a sudden, fatal conclusion in the spring of 1659. Though some contemporary accounts characterized Janet as a "pyker and a theif"—terms likely intended to diminish her social standing—her ability to retain a servant suggests she held a more complex, perhaps middling, position within her community. Her household, which she shared with her late husband, McGuffic, had suffered a marked decline in fortune, evidenced by the eventual confiscation of their property. This period of instability was exacerbated by a long-standing reputation for maleficium that had shadowed her for twelve years, ultimately culminating in accusations that she had caused damage to ale.
The legal proceedings against Janet were conducted in Dumfries, the regional centre where many cases from Kirkcudbright were adjudicated. Following the summons of witnesses on March 31, 1659, she stood trial on April 2, where she maintained a plea of not guilty. Despite her denial, the court found her guilty. The sentence was carried out in accordance with the customary practices of the time: Janet was strangled and then burned. Her name also appears in the records of other contemporary trials, notably being mentioned by Jonet Miller, illustrating how the web of accusations during this era frequently entangled multiple members of a community.