April 9, 1864 - Martha Needle
Her victims were drawn entirely from her domestic circle — a husband, three children, and the brother of a fiancé — making her case a study in the particular horror of harm enacted within the household, where trust was absolute. The poisonings unfolded across years before suspicion consolidated into investigation, and she was ultimately hanged in 1894 following conviction for the murder of Louis Juncken.
From Wikipedia
Martha Needle (née Charles; 9 April 1863 – 22 October 1894) was an Australian serial killer who was hanged for poisoning her husband, three children, and prospective brother-in-law. She was convicted for the murder of Louis Juncken, brother of her fiancé Otto Juncken, on 15 May 1894. Although Needle collected substantial sums of insurance money, her exact motive for murdering her family has not been determined. Several times she stated her innocence, but she was eventually hanged. She has been nicknamed The Black Widow of Richmond.
Further reading
- The Secret Art of Poisoning
Explores how 19th-century Australian poisoner Martha Needle, known as 'The Black Widow,' secretly killed her family and systematically targeted the brothers of her obsession.
View on Amazon → - Martha Needle
A detailed account of Martha Needle, described as Australia's most treacherous poisoner and one of the world's most prolific female killers, whose notoriety rivaled Ned Kelly's.
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