Monday, September 26, 2011

Black Widow Serial Killers


This selection includes only those female serial killers who murdered at least two husbands (including common-law husbands), or who murdered one husband and unsuccessfully attempted to kill a second. Women who were serial killers but among whose victims was only a single husband – a category which includes a large number of cases – are not included. The widows are presented chronologically under the date of arrest.

A number of the following cases have not appeared in lists of serial killers. Among these newly uncovered cases several are connected to European husband-killing syndicates, a number of which are themselves forgotten by historians of crime – until now.

Those Black Widows on the following list who murdered four or more husbands (31 cases known so far) will also be found collected together in a short list called The Champion Black Widow Serial Killers

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As of April 8, 2021, this list has reached the 314 mark.

Peter Vronsky’s 1997 list of 140 female serial killers includes 23 Black Widows: Barfield, Becker, Beets, Besnard, Buenoano, Cotton, Dazley, Doss, Fazekas, Gottfried, Gunness, Kinne, Klimek, Lyles, Martin, de Melker, Moore, Olah, Renczi, Sherman, Trueblood (Southard), Velten, Vermilya.

SEE: “Exciting careers in serial widowhood,” by Robert St. Estephe, A Voice for Men, Sep. 10, 2012

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Before 1600 BC (3 husbands & 2 others)
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42 BC (5 husbands)
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Zenobia - Syria
275 ("a series of lovers")
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Queen Fredegund – Merovignian Kingdom
597 (husband, multiple lovers)
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940 (about 36 husbands)
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Mahaut de Bourgogne – France
1196 (4 husbands)
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Alice Kyteler – Ireland 
1324 (4 husbands)
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Sultana Khadeejah – Maldives
1380 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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ca 1520 (paramour, husband & 1 other)
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1613 (5 husbands)
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Elizabeth Ridgway – England
1684 (husband & paramour; & others)
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1725 (2 husbands)
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1814 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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Gesche Margarethe Gottfried - Germany
1827 (2 husbands & 13 others)
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Betty Rowland - England
1836 (3 husbands)
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1840 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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"Oxford Skeleton Black Widow"
1841 (4 husbands)
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1843 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1846 (2 husbands)
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Mrs. Frey - USA
1847 (2 husbands)
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1850 (2 husbands & 4 others)
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Mrs. Truesdale - England
1851 (2 husbands)
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1852 (3 husbands)
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1852 (3 husbands, 1 other)
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"Big Mary" - USA
1857 (4 husbands)
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1857 (6 husbands, suspected)
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1860 (2 husbands & 7 others)
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1860 (2 husbands)
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1862 (2 husbands; 4 others & 1 attempt)
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Carrie E. Holbrook Chandler - USA
1864 (2 husbands)
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Marie Binet Soques - France
1865 (2 husbands)
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Nancy Lyman – USA
1869 (2 husbands)
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1869 (4 husbands)
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1870s (“numerous” paramours)
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1870 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1870 (2 paramours & 1 other)
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Mrs. Hoffman / Wenxel - USA
1870 (3 husbands)
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1871 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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Lydia Sherman - USA
1871 (3 husbands & 7 others)
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1873 (2 husbands; others)
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1873 (3 husbands & 12-17 others)
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1874 (2 husbands)
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1874 (2 husbands)
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1875 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1875 (2 husbands; 3 others)
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1877 (3 husbands; & 2 children)
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Florence Bravo - England
1878 (2 husbands)
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1878 (2 husbands & 2 others)
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1878 (3 husbands)
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1878 (2 men: husband; paramour)
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Takahashi Oden – Japan
1879 (lover & husband)
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1880 (7 husbands)
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1881 (2 husbands)
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1881 (2 husbands)
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1882 (2 husbands & 26 others)
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1883 (3 husbands & 4 others)
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1883 (2 paramours & 1 man lynched because of her)
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1884 (3 husbands & 1 other)
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1884 (2 husbands)
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Elizabeth Vanderhoff - USA
1885 (2 husbands)
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1884 (3 husbands, 100s of others)
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Nellie Grant - USA
1885 (2 husbands)
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1886 (4 husbands)
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1886 (4 husbands)
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1886 (2 husbands (1 survived) & 1 other)
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1888 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1888 (2 husbands)
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1888 (3 husbands)
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1888 (husband & “another man”)
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Josephine Carnahan Ramsey Artz – USA
1889 (2 husbands)
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1889 (3 husbands & 1 other)
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Carrie Vandergrift - USA
1890 (2 husbands; 1 other)
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Jane Dorsey - USA
1891 (4 husbands & 4 others)
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1891 (2 husbands)
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1891 (4 husbands)
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1892 (2 husbands; 1 survived)
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Kate Painter - USA
1892 (2 husbands)
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1892 (2 men)
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1893 (3 husbands (possibly) & 5 others)
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1894 (2 husbands & 4 others)
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1894 (2 husbands)
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1895 (2 husbands)
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1896  (49 husbands)
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Fatima Ben Abdel Kader - Algeria
1896 (3 husbands)
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"Mischar Triple Black Widow" - Serbia
1896 (3 husbands)
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Queen Piea Waar - Hermit Islands
1897 (2 husbands)
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1897 (2 husbands)
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1897 (2 husb. & att. husb.)
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1898 (2 husbands)
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1899 (2 husbands)
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1899 (2 husbands)
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1899 (2 husbands)
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1899 (3 husbands)
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1899 (husbands)
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1899 (2 husbands)
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Late-19th century (2 husbands & 4 others)
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1900 (4 husbands)
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1902 (2 husbands, 2 others)
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1902 (4 husbands & 14 others)
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1903 (husband, paramour & 2 others)
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1903 (2 husbands)
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1903 (2 husbands & 9 others)
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1903 (5 husbands (1 survived))
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Marie Knauer - USA
1903 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1904 (3 husbands)
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Mrs. Massilon - USA
1904 (3 husbands, suspected)
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Marie Nowak - Moravia
1904 (3 husbands)
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Anna Bergmann –Germany
1905 (5 husbands)
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1905 (3, or more, husbands)
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1905 (4 “lovers”)
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Sofronia Agatescu - Romania
1906 - (3 husbands)
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1906 (4 husbands)
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Emma LeDoux (McVickar) – USA
1906 (3, or 4, husbands)
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Shui Hing – China
1908 (8 men)
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1907 (2 Husbands & 1 other)
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1908 (2 husbands)
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1908 (2 husbands & dozens of fiancés)
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1908 (many paramours)
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Alice Watford - USA
1908 (2 husbands)
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1909 (3 husbands; 2 others)
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1911 (2 (or 3) husbands)
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Louise Vermilya – USA
1911 (2 husbands & 7 others)
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1912 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1912 (2 husbands & 3 others)
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1912 (2 husbands & 3 others)
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1914 (2 husbands)
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1914 (2 husbands & 1 paramour)
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1914 (3 husbands)
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1915 (3 husbands)
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Amy Archer-Gilligan – USA
1916 (5? husbands & several others)
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1917 (2 husbands & 2 others)
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1918 (10 husbands)
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 1918 (8 husbands susp.; 2 confirmed)
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Henrietta Williams - USA
1918 (3)
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 1920 (2 husbands, 1 lover)
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Ca. 1920s (2 husbands)
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1920 (4 husbands)
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1920 (2 husbands)
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1921 (2 husbands & 2 "lovers," & 1 husband who survived)
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1921 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1921 (2 husbands)
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1921 (4 husbands)
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Gertrude Gerstenberg Guerreriri - USA
1922 (2 husbands)
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1922 (3 husbands & 2 others)
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1923 (4 husbands & 9 others & 6 survivors)
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1923 – (6 husbands)
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1924 (2 husbands (1 survived) & 4 others)
1924 (2 husbands & others)
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1924 (3 husbands)
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1924 (2 husbands & 1 boyfriend)
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1924 (2 husbands & 2 others)
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1924 (2 husbands & 1 possible survivor husband)
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1925 (2 husbands & 33 others) (possibly a hoax story; requires confirmation)
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1925 (2 husbands; 30 others)
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Georgia Brown - USA
1926 (2 husbands)
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1926 (2 husbands (1 survived))
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1926 (2 husbands (1 survived) & 2 others)
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1926 (8 paramours)
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Ora Lee Thacker – USA
1926 (2 husbands)
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1926 (2 husbands & 6 others)
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1927 (3 husbands; others)
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1927 (3 husbands)
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1927 (3 husbands & 55 others)
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Tamara – Greece
1927 (3 husbands, or more)
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1928 (3 husbands & 1 other)
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1928 (2 husbands, 1 other)
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1929 (3 husbands)
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1929 (2 husbands & dozens of others)
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1929 (2 husbands)
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1929 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1930s (3 husbands)
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1930s (multiple “lonely hearts” victims)
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Agnes Bittner – Czechoslovakia
1930 (2 husbands & 5 lovers)
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Maria Joljart - Hungary
1930 (husband & paramour)
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Maria Varga – Hungary
1930 (2 husbands & 5 others)
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Johanna Schadenhofer - Austria
1931 (1 husband & 1 husband attempted)
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1931 (5 husbands & 14 others)
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1931 (3 husbands)
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1931 (2 husbands)
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1931 (2  husbands; 4 others)
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1932 (2 husbands, 1 fiancee; & 4 others)
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1932 (2 husbands)
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1932 (2 husbands)
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1933 (3 husbands suspected; 1 other)
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1933 (2 husbands; 1 other)
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1935 (2 husbands; 2 others & 1 att.)
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1936 (2 husbands, 9 others & 5 survivors)
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1938 (2 husbands (1 survived))
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1939 (3 husbands)
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1938 (1 husband & 1 paramour)
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1939 (3 husbands)
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1939 (2 husbands (1 survived) & 1 other)
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1940 (5 husbands; plus others)
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1940 (3 husbands)
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Lue Burns - USA
1941 (2 husbands)
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Concepcion Gonzalez - USA
1941 (2 husbands)
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1941 (3 husbands)
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1943 (3 husbands & 2 others)
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1946 (2 husbands & 2 others)
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1948 (3 husbands)
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1949 (2 husbands & 11 others)
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1949 (2 husbands & 3 others)
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1950 (2 husbands)
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1950 (Common law husband & another man)
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1951 (17 husbands)
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1952 (3 husbands & 9 others)
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1952 (2 husbands)
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Alicia Roberts - Wales
1952 (2 husbands)
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1952 (2 husbands)
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1954 (4 husbands & 7 others)
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1956 (2 husbands & 4 others)
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1957 (2 husbands)
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Mary Elizabeth Wilson - England
1957 (3 husbands & 1 other)
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Anjette Lyles - USA
1958 (2 husbands & 2 others)
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1962 (3 husbands)
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1962 (1 husband, 1 boyfriend)
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Effie Norris - USA
1963 (1 husband, 1 boyfriend, 1 employer)
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1962 (2 husbands)
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1964 (2 husbands)
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Irena Cubirkova (Čubírková) – Czechoslovakia
1966 (husband & boyfriend)
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1967 (2 husbands & 7 children)
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Catalina Domingo Campins - Spain
1970 (2 husbands & 3 others)
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1975 (2 husbands; 3 others who survived)
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1975 (2 husbands, 1 survived)
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1975 (2 husbands & 1 “man”)
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1978 (2 husbands & 4 others)
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Margarita Herlein - Argentina
1978 (4 (3 husb, 1 bf))
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1978 (2 lovers)
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1979 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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1979 (2 husbands)
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1980s-1990s (4 husbands)
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1982 (3 husbands; 1 survived)
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Pauline Rogers - USA
1982 (2 husbands, 1 survived)
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1983 (2 husbands & 3 others)
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1983 (4 husbands (1 survived) & 1 other)
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1984 (3 men; 1 survived)
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1984 (1 husband, 1 fiancé (survived; 1 other)
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Lois Thacker - USA
1984 (2 husbands)
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1985 (3 husbands & 200 others)
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1985 (5 husbands)
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1985 (2 husbands)
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1987  (2 husbands)
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1987 (2 husbands; 7 others)
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1987 (2 husbands)
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Eugenia "Sweetlove" Moore - USA
1987 (3; 2 husb; 1 bf)
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1988 (2 husbands)
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 Sharon Lynn Nelson (Harrelson)– USA
1988 (2 husbands)
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1988 (2 husbands)
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Blanche Taylor Moore - USA
1989 (2 husbands & 4, or more, others)
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1989 (“multiple husbands & others)
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"Greenland Black Widow" - Greenland
1990 (2 husbands)
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Lynda Calvey - England
1990 (2 husbands)
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Rodica Negroiu - France
1990 (3 husbands)
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 Frances Beasley Truesdale – USA
1992 (2 husbands)
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1992 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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 Jill Coit – USA
1993 (2 husbands)
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1994 (2 husbands; & 1 survived)
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1995 (2 or more husbands)
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1996 (2 husbands, 2 lovers; 2 others)
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Terri Gilbert – USA
1996 (2 husbands)
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1996 (2 husbands; 1 surv.; others threatened)
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1998 (2 husbands & 1 boyfriend)
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1999 (2 husbands)
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Jamila Belkacem - France
1999 (1 dead; 1 survived)
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Laurene Dye - Canada
1999 (2 husbands & 1 att. on a husband)
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Tammy Martin - USA
1999 (1 dead husband; 1 survived)
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Yuko Takahashi - Japan
2000 (2 husbands)
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2001 (2 husbands)
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2001 (3 husbands)
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2001 (4 husbands)
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Kathleen McCluskey – England
2001 (4 men)
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2002 (2 husbands)
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2003 (husband & paramour)
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2003 (2 paramours; 1 husband)
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Raynella Dossett Leath – USA
2003 (2 husbands)
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Janet Smith - USA
2003 (1 husband, 1 fiancee; & 2 plots)
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Uhm - South Korea
2005 (2 husbands)
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 Sonia Rios – USA
2006 (2 husbands)
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2007 (2 husbands, 1 other (survived))
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2007 (1 husband & 3 boyfriends)
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2007 (2 husbands; 1 survived)
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2007 (2 Husbands & 1 other)
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2008 (husband, boyfriend)
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Manuela Gonzalez Cano - France
2008 (3?; & 2 attempts)
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Betty Neumar - USA
2008 (5 husbands)
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Miriam Helmick - USA
2009 (2 husbands)
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2009 (3 husbands)
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2009 (7 men, "personals")
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2009 (2 husbands & 1 other)
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Sonia Rios Risken - USA
2009 (2 husbands)
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Miyuko Ueti – Japan
2009 (5 “dates” & 1 fiancee)
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2011 (1 husband & 1 “boyfriend”)
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2011 (1 husband & 1 paramour)
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2011 (multiple husbands)
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2011 (2 husbands)
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2012 (2 husbands (suspected))
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Catherine Symanowski – USA
2012 (1 husband & 1 surv. boyfriend, shot 6 times)
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2012 (2 husbands & 2 who survived)
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Esneda Ruiz Cataño – Colombia
2013 (3 husbands)
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Patricia Dagorn - France
2013 (2 paramours; poisoned 4 others)
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2013 (2 husbands)
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Robyn Lindholm - Australia
2013 (2 boyfriends)
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Emma Raine - USA
2013 (3 husbands)
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2013 (2 boyfriends)
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2014 (2 husbands)
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2014 (husband, another man, poss. others)
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2014 (7 husbands  & paramours, susp.)
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Noh (husbands: Lee; Kim) – Korea
2014 (husband & paramour; 1 other)
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Marli Teles de Souza - Brazil
2014 (3 husbands & 1 boyfriend)
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 Brenda Jacobs – USA
2015 (2 husbands)
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Kelly Marie Cochran - USA
2016 (husband, boyfriend; possible others)
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2017 (4 husbands & paramours; 1 other)
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Wane Brenda - Brazil
2018 (2 boyfriends)
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Meshell Hale - USA
2018 (2 husbands)
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Lori Vallon Daybell - USA
2020 (3? & multiple others?)
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►►BLACK WIDOW SERIAL KILLERS CATEGORIZED

Weapons, Poisons & Methods

Antifreeze – Shirley Allen, Stacy Castor, Julia Lynn Turner

Axe – Belle Gunness, Lizzie Halliday

Beat to death – Linda Lou Charbonneau, Ulisa Chavers

Carbon Monoxide – Cynthia Phillips, Kanae Kijima

Drown – Kanae Kijima, EmilseYulima Emilsen Rojas Castaño

Fireplace poker – Ann Gates

Gunshot  (handgun unless otherwise noted) – "Broncho Lou" (Mrs. Yankers), Minnie Cummings, Jane Taylor Quinn, Mary T. Godau, Euphemia Mondich, Alma McClaney (Theede), Margie Zeglen, Nannie Doss, Betty Lou Beets, Sharon Kinne, Betty Lou Beets, Carrie Allen, Ann Gates, Hazel Allison (shotgun), Cynthia Phillips, Barbara Stager, Sandra Bridewell, Geraldine Parrish, Sylvia Ipock White, Jill Coit, Terri Gilbert, Cynthia Phillips, Josephine Gray, Raynella Leath, Sonia Rios, Betty Newmar, Miriam Helmick, Goidsargi Estibaliz 'Esti' Carranza, Amy Herrera, Catherine Symanowski (rifle, handgun), Colleen Ann Harris, Della Sutorius

Knife – Sienna Engelbredht, Mary Lou Martin, Esneda Ruiz Cataño, Mme. Tamara

Poison (arsenic unless otherwise noted) – Gesche Margarethe Gottfried (arsenic), Hannah Hanson Kinney, Sarah Dazley, Mrs. Van Valkenbugh, Madame Segard, Mary McKnight (strychnine), Elizabeth P. McCraney, “Gardiner, Maine Black Widow,” Lydia Sherman, Catherine Batchelor, Mary Ann Cotton, Brigitte Burckel, Sallie Hardman (Gibbs), Mrs. Gossau, Kathi Lyukas, Mrs. Christian, Angenette B. S. Haight, “Varanda, Hungary Black Widow, “Silesian Black Widow,” Louisa Collins, Martha Johnson, Mrs. John Dorsey, Caroline Sorgenfrie (Paris green), Kate Painter, Ann Miniver Davis, Olive Sternaman, Mrs. Camfield (aconite and acotine), Lulu Johnson, Marie Nicodem, Lisa Triku, Jerinia, Zsimcsa, Sultana Pongyan Juchi Jamela, Caroline Przygodda, Malvina Roeste, (rose bay leaves), “Knez Four-Time Black Widow,” Louise Vermilya, Louisa Lindloff, Frieda Trost, Amy Archer-Gilligan, Annie Monahan, Anna Tomaskiewicz, Frau Buchmann, Madame Pitiot, Lydia Trueblood Southard, Clara Carl,  “Cleveland Black Widow,” Tillie Klimek, Annie Hauptrief, Annora Yeoman, Vera Renczi, Laura Christy, Elsie Bible Malinsky, Nora Edwards, Julia Fazekas, Suzi Olah, Maria Aszendi, Agnes Bittner (?), Maria Varga, Margaret Summers, Daisy de Melker (strychnine), Marie Becker, Florence Peters, Rose Carina, Victoria Lefebvre, Anna Louise Sullivan, Helen Moeller, Marguerite D’Andurian, Josefa Idler, Marie Besnard, Marie Jeanbracq (digitalis), Bessie Lee Cunningham, Roberta Elder, Yvonne Fletcher, Rhonda Belle Martin, Anjette Donovan Lyles, Bessie Folse Toups, Mrs. Elmer Stone Conyers, Velma Barfield, Ada Wittenmyer, LaVerne O’Bryan (horse tonic), Shirley Allen, Pauline Rogers, Maria Velten, Judias Buenoano, Blanche Taylor Moore, Raynella Leath (morphine), Kanae Kijima (medicines), Melissa Friedrich (Weeks) (drugs)

Suffocate – Lydia L.

Torture to Death –“Brazilian Black Widow”

Miscellaneous

“Accidental” Death – Sharon Kinne, Sharon Lynn Nelson (Harrelson), Natthakan Anaman (drugged, auto wreck), Raynella Leath (morphine, supposedly trampled by cattle), EmilseYulima Emilsen Rojas Castaño

Advertising (lonely hearts) – Belle Gunness, Marie Krueger, Nannie Doss, Ada Wittenmyer, Lydia L., Kanae Kijima, EmilseYulima Emilsen Rojas Castaño?

Dismemberment – Marie Vere Goold, Ulisa Chavers, Goidsargi Estibaliz 'Esti' Carranza (with chainsaw)

Escape from Prison or Fugitive – Lydia Trueblood Southard, Sandra Bridewell, Sharon Kinne, Goidsargi Estibaliz 'Esti' Carranza

Execution of  perpetrator – Gesche Margarethe Gottfried (arsenic), Sarah Dazley, Mrs. Van Valkenbugh, Madame Segard, Rhonda Belle Martin, Velma Barfield, Judias Buenoano, Betty Lou Beets

Fake Suicide –Raynella Leath, Miriam Helmick,  Kanae Kijima, Amy Herrera

Incineration – Madame Tamara

Married in prison – “Brazilian Black Widow”

Occult – Louisa Lindloff, Frieda Trost, Madame Tamara, Anjette Donovan Lyles,  Josephine Gray, Geraldine Parrish,

Proxy – Mrs. Gossau (leap-frog), Euphemia Mondich (leap-frog), Sharon Nelson (Harrelson), Geraldine Parrish, Gray (leap-frog), Esneda Ruiz Cataño, Cynthia Phillips, Geraldine Parrish, Sylvia Ipock White, Jill Coit, Cynthia Phillips (attempts), Linda Lou Charbonneau, Josephine Gray, Sonia Rios,

Suicide of perpetrator – Louise Vermilyea, Marie Torosian, Annie Hauptrief, Julia Fazekas, Suzi Olah, Julia Lynn Turner, Josefa Idler, Ada Wittenmyer, Catherine Symanowski

Trophy cadaver accumulation – Vera Renczi

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Abstract: This research examines one type of ‘Black Widow’ killer as an unexplored area of romance scams. Black Widow killers murder those close to them, usually those who they have some form of romantic association with, such as a husband or lover, however, they also prey on their own relatives. The type of Black Widow killer focused upon in this research is those who murder for the purpose of financial gain, through using romance to initiate the process. These killers are referred to as ‘Scamming Black Widow killers’. The notion that such a killer could be identified as a type of romance scam is due to these killers and those fraudsters conducting romance scams having the same motivations. Romance scams involve fraudsters romancing their victims to form a trustworthy ‘relationship’, to then defraud them of their finances.

The crime of murder itself, committed by Black Widow killers, is extremely serious in that it requires attention. There is no way to fully understand the incidence of Black Widow murders, as it is possible for some to go undetected or possibly ruled as accidental deaths. The other crime of non-lethal romance scams discussed in this research is also a serious crime, which can result in high quantities of money lost, and great emotional pain for the victims. Although these two crimes are separate, the link between them has previously been weirdly unexplored.

This research aims to fill this knowledge gap, proposing Scamming Black Widow killers to be understood as one type of romance scam.


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[32,042-1/29/21]
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