When you think of serial killers, you are most likely to think of men. However, it might surprise you to learn that some of the worst have been females. Here are 11 terrifying female serial killers you never knew existed:
#1 Leonarda Cianciulli, Italy
Often referred to as the ‘Soap-Maker of Correggio’, LC was born in Montella Avellino, Italy on November 14, 1893. After suffering three miscarriages and losing ten of her own children in the youth, Cianciulli became understandably overprotective of her four surviving children. She began a killing spree in 1931 with the belief that if she sacrificed enough souls, her son would be safe while being away at war. After gaining the trust of three separate victims, Cianciulli drugged them and killed them brutally with an axe. The first two women she killed, Cianciulli dissolved and dumped the remains, but used the coagulated blood as an ingredient for tea cakes which she served to guests and consumed herself! She turned the third victim’s body into soap. Cianciulli was arrested and tried for murder in 1946. She eventually died on October 15, 1970 before she could make anyone else her victim.
#2 Karla Homolka, Canada
The wife of Paul Bernardo and potentially one of the most infamous female serial killers in Canadian history, Karla Homolka was born on May 4, 1970 in Port Credit, Ontario, Canada. Between December 24, 1990 and April 19, 1992, she along with Bernardo was responsible for the sexual assaults and murders of three minors, two of whom were abducted teenagers. Her first victim was her own sister Tammy, who Homolka drugged and presented to her new husband as a wedding gift on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, Tammy vomited while unconscious from the drug and asphyxiated. Homolka initially claimed that she was forced to perform these incredibly heinous acts by her abusive husband, and even managed to secure a plea deal with the Crown Attorney prosecuting Bernardo’s case. However, it was later revealed by video evidence that Homolka not only indulged in the disgusting actions, but also initiated many of them.
#3 Anna Maria Zwanziger, Italy
On August 7, 1760, Anna Maria Zwanziger was born in Bavaria, Germany where she grew up into the life the life of servanthood as a housekeeper. At 41, she became housekeeper to a judge whom she poisoned with arsenic only to nurse him back to health. She would later confess she did this in order to gain his trust. She proceeded to go through the process at least two more times with other judges she began caring for. In total, Zwanziger killed at least four people by poisoning, one of them being a baby who was in her care. She finally arrested on October 16, 1809. For her crimes, Anna Maria Zwanziger was beheaded with a swipe of a sword in Nuremberg, Germany on September 17, 1811. Just prior to the execution being carried out, she was quoted as saying it was a good thing she was being killed, as she didn’t think she herself could stop killing others.
#4 Maria Catherina Swanenburg, Netherlands
Born in Leiden, Netherlands on September 9, 1839, MCS began her murderous career at 41 years of age, her first victim being her own mother whom she poisoned with arsenic. Soon after, she took her father’s life in a similar manner. Swanenburg went on to poison at least a hundred more people, all while under the guise of a helpful individual who would care for the sick, elderly and even children. It is said that the reason behind her killing so many people was for insurance and inheritance of money, though she seemed to also get a sick pleasure out of it. Suspected of killing over ninety people, only 27 victims were ever proven to have lost their lives by her hand. Out of those 16 were her own family members! She was caught in Dec of 1883 and was sent to a correctional facility where she died at the age of 75. Even today, Swanenburg is regarded as one of the most terrifying female serial killers of all times.
#5 Jane Toppan, USA
Also known for her serial killer identities, The Angel of Death and Jolly Jane, Honora Kelley was born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1857 to Irish immigrants. When Honora was still a child, her mother died and her father went insane. So, she was taken in by the Toppan family, who changed her name to Jane Toppan. After becoming a nurse in 1880s, Jane began selecting elderly victims whom she would dose with morphine or atropine before climbing onto their beds and holding them while they died. Jane later admitted that she got a sexual thrill from watching helpless people die, and she wanted to kill more helpless people than any other man or woman who ever lived. Even though she took more than 31 lives, and was caught on October 29, 1901, Jane was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was sent to Taunton Insane Hospital, where she stayed until her death in 1938.
#6 Helene Jegado, France
Born in 1803 on a small farm in Plouhinec, a commune in Brittany, France, and Helene Jegado became a domestic servant after her mother died in 1810. After 23 years of being a servant to priests, Jegado took an interest in poisoning people’s food, killing seven people in the homes she served in, including her own sister! By the time she was 32 years old, she had taken the lives of at least 17 people. Her ability to convince people that she was mourning kept her out of suspicion. Jegado was not arrested until July 1, 1851, when she prematurely announced her innocent to investigators who hadn’t accused her yet. Though she committed at least 36 murders that authorities could prove, French law allowed them to only prosecute three of them. Still, Jegado was found guilty of three accounts of murder, which was enough for her to be sentenced to death. Helene Jegado was executed by guillotine on February 28, 1852.
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#7 Darya Saltykova, France
Born on November 3, 1730 in Moscow, Russia, Darya Saltykova was one of the scariest female serial killers of her times. She inherited her husband’s estate when he died in 1755. The estate included a number of serfs who worked there. It wasn’t long after she took over the residence that complaints of cruelty and disappearances began circulating, most of the victims being young female serfs. Sadly, those complaints were ignored by authorities, some of whom punished the person giving them. Between 1755 and 1762, Darya tortured, mutilated, and killed a large number of her staff only to be caught when a petition finally got the attention of Empress Catherine II, who got Darya arrested. Saltykova was imprisoned until she died on December 27, 1801, at the age of 71. Though it’s known that she definitely took the lives of 38 people, it’s been reported that the number could be as high as 147!
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#8 Juana Barraza, Mexico
Possibly the most brutal and intimidating female murderer in the history of Mexico, Juana Barraza was born on December 27, 1959, and is known for two things. The first is being a wrestler under the ring name The Silent Lady, and the other being a serial killer called the Old Lady Killer. Barraza would target women who were over the age of 60, usually ones who lived alone. She would pose as a government official or other visitor in order to gain the trust of her victims and get access to their houses. It was there that she would strangle and beat them to death before stealing anything valuable that she could find. The Old Lady Killer operated from 1998 until 2006, mostly due to the mishandling of the case by police. Barraza was found to have committed 42 to 48 murders. On March 31, 2008, she was sentenced to almost 800 years in prison.
#9 Miyuki Ishikawa, Japan
Beginning in April 1944, Miyuki used her role as the director of a maternity hospital to “help” parents who couldn’t financially support their babies by letting the infant pass on due to neglect. Then, a doctor would give out falsified death certificates while her husband tried to get what little money the parents had as payment. Then on January 12, 1948, two officers accidentally stumbled upon the remains of five infants and Miyuki was arrested. Miyuki only served four years in prison for the murders.
#10 Elizabeth Bathory, Hungary
Elizabeth Bathory is not only considered one of the worst female serial killers of all time, but even tops the most notable male killers. And that’s really not surprising when you learn that she was responsible for 650 deaths! Born to a noble family in Hungary on August 7, 1560, Bathory got married at only 15 years of age and she took over her husband’s castle as he went off to war. She began her murderous deeds in 1584, luring young peasant women to her castle, promising to pay them for work but ultimately torturing, killing, and in some cases, eating them! It’s been documented that Bathory believed that she could absorb life from her victims’ blood, and is considered to be the world’s first vampire. Her noble status kept her from being tried until 1610, when she was finally caught. On August 21, 1614, Bathory died in a windowless room, never to drink the blood of innocents again.
#11 Cyanide Mallika, India
Cyanide Mallika is regarded as the first female serial killer of India. Her real name is KD Kempamma and is convicted for six murder cases. She functioned in Tamil Nadu and all her preys were unsuspecting women who she interacted with at temples. She poisoned these women and robbed them off their gold. Her journey to become one of the most horrifying female serial killers started with small thefts at apartments where she worked as a servant. She committed her first murder in the year 1999. After that, she killed five more women. Most of these women were distressed and fell prey to her con job of offering praying for them. Cyanide Mallika was arrested in 2006 and was sentenced to death penalty in the year 2010. However, in 2012, her punishment was commuted to life imprisonment and she is now serving her term at Parappana Agrahara Jail.
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