Around the World with Female Serial Killers: A Sampler

It is common to see false claims such as: “serial killers are usually white men in their 20s or 30s who come from lower- or middle-class backgrounds” and “Female serial killers are rare compared to their male counterparts.” Neither claim is accurate.

This post is a “sampler,” offering a link to a single case for each of the nations listed. This makes for a convenient way to understand the wide proliferation of female serial killers through the entire world.

[Count: 73; as of Aug. 9, 2015]

► AFRICA (15)

Angola – 1663 – Queen Nzinga – Ndongo (Angola)

Egypt – 1920 – Raya & Sakina Aly Hammam – Alexandria, Egypt

Ethiopia – 1918 – Taytu Betul – Addis Abbaba, Abyssinia (Ethiopia)

Ghana (Ashanti Kingdom) – 1948 – Balagee – Nayagli, Ghana

Kenya – 2010 – Elizabeth Wambui – Kiambu, Kenya

Madagascar – 1828 – Ranavalona the Cruel, Queen – Madagascar

Malawi (Nyasaland) – 1963 – Mairiya Zikabuma – Blantyre, Nyasaland (Malawi)

Morocco – 1938 – Moulay Hassen – Fez, Morocco

Mozambique – 1914 – “Beira Black Widow” – Beira, Mozambique

Nigeria – 2001 – Jummai Hassan – Maiduguri, Nigeria

Rwanda – 1994 – Angeline Mukandutiye – Rwanda

South Africa – 1962 – Sienna Engelbrecht – Cape Town, South Africa

Uganda – 2000 – Credonia Mwerinde – Kunungu, Uganda

Zambia – 1995 – Filita Mashilipa – Zambia

Zimbabwe – 2014 – Angeline Mabhiza – Nago 1 Village Zimuto, Masvingo Province, Z.

► EUROPE (34)

Austria – 1917 – Leopoldine Kasparek – Vienna, Austria

Belgium – 1988 – Myriam Marlein – Ostend, Belgium

Czech Republic – 2003 – Jaroslava Fabianova – Decin, Czech Republic

Denmark – 1819 – Ane Nielsdatter – Copenhagen, Denmark

England – 2013 – Joanna Dennehy – Petersborough, Cambridgeshire, England

Estonia (?) –1912 – Ivanova & Olga Tamarin – (Kurdio?, Kulda?, Estonia?)

Finland – 2009 – Aino Nykopp-Koski - Helsinki, Finland

France – 1808 – Catherine Bouhours ("Auguste Manette") – Paris, France

Germany – 1924 – Erna Warz – Berlin, Germany

Greece – 1927 – Mme. Tamara – Athens, Greece

Haiti – 1910 – Esteis Liberis – Barahona, Haiti

Hungary – 1888 – Eva Micsik – Csoka,Serbia

Ireland – 1761 – Dorcas Kelly – Dublin, Ireland

Italy – 1923 – Clothida Cravana (Maria Clothida Gaione, nee Cravino) – Turin, Italy

Latvia –1956 – H. B. Zarin – Riga, Latvia

Lithuania – 1892 – Feige Noskina – Vilna, Lithuania

Macedonia (ancient) – 316 BC – Queen Olympias – Macedonia

Netherlands – 1883 – Maria Swanenburg (Van der Linden) – Leiden, Netherlands

Norway – 1875 – Sofie Johannesdotter – Fredrikshald (Halden), Norway

Poland – 1890 – Marianne Skoublinska – Warsaw, Poland

Pontus, Kingdom of – 1st c BC – Princess Laodice of Cappadocia – K. of Pontus

Portugal – 1772 – Luiza de Jesus – Coimbra, Portugal

Romania – 1906 – Martha Petromany – Knees, Temesvar, Romania

Rome (ancient) – 48 AD – Valeria Messalina – Rome

Russia – 1927 – Sophie Safarine – Navoia, Russia

Scotland – 1850s – Allie Belchie – Lintlaw, Buncle Parish, Scotland

Serbia – 1928 – Annuja de Poshonja (Anna Pistova) – Valadimirovac, Serbia

Sicily – 1788 – Giovanna Bonnano – Palermo, Sicily

Slovakia – 1931 – Madame Stanke – Levice, Slovakia

Spain – 1912 – Enriqueta Martí – Barcelona, Spain

Sweden – 1906 – Mrs. Gustav Holmen (alias) – Stockholm, Sweden

Switzerland – 1920 – Frau Buchmann ("Backman") – Geneva & Zurich, Switzerland

Ukraine – 1885 – Rachel Ostrovoskafa – Odessa, Ukraine

► FAR EAST (13)

Australia – 1980 – Helen Patricia Moore – Fullwood Place, Claymore, Australia

China – 1200 – Ta-Ki – China

Indonesia – 1996 – Astini (aka Bu Lakri) – Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia

Japan –1921 – Iniego Kaneiko – Kumakura, Japan

Malaysia – 1953 – Yoke Ying – Bentong area of Pahang, Malaysia

Maldives – 1300s – Sultana Khadeejah – Maldives

New Zealand – 1984 – Lise Jane Turner – Christchurch, New Zealand

Philippines – 1880s – Sultana Pangyan Inchi Jamela – Philippines

South Korea – 2015 – Noh (married to Kim; Lee) – Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi, South Korea

Tahiti – 1780s – Queen Ideah – Kingdom of Tahiti

Taiwan – 1987 – Chen Kao Lien-yen – Fan Liao, Taiwan

Thailand – 2002 – Natthakan Anaman – Bankok, Thailand

Vietnam – 2004 – Le Thanh Van – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

► NEAR, MIDDLE EAST & SUBCONTINENT (9)

Afghanistan – 2005 – Shirin Gul – Kabul & Jalalabad, Afghanistan

Armenia – 1923 – Marie Torosian – Armenia

India – 1951 – Lala Wanh – Bhatanta, East Punjab, India

Iran – 2009 – Mahin Qadiri – Qazvin, Iran

Persia (ancient) – 5th c BC – Parysatis – Persia

Lebanon – 1871 – “Dahr-al-Ahmur Serial Killer” – Dahr-al-Ahmur, Lebanon

Sri Lanka – 42 BC – Anula of Anuradhapura – Sri Lanka

Syria – 275 – Zenobia – Syria

Turkey – 1925 – “Constantinople Female Serial Killer” – Istanbul, Turkey

► NORTH AMERICA & CARRIBEAN (6)

Bahamas –1998 – Sante Kimes – Bahamas, Los Angeles, New York, USA

Canada – 2012 – Melissa Friedrich (Weeks) – Pinellas Park, Florida, USA & Canada

Cuba – 1852 – Margaret Waldegrave – Buffalo, New York, USA & Cuba

Haiti – 1910 – Esteis Liberis – Barahona, Haiti

Mexico – 1912 – Maria Reyes – Mexico City, Mexico

USA – 1921 – Lyda Trueblood Southard – Twin Falls, Idaho, USA

► SOUTH AMERICA (5)

Argentina – 1941 – Magdalena Castel – Parma, Argentina

Brazil – 2012 – Bruna Oliveira da Silva – Garahuns, Brazil

Chile –1660 – Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer – Chile

Colombia – 1998 – María Concepción Ladino Gutiérrez – Bogota, Colombia

Panama – 2010 – Laura Michelle Reese – Panama

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