The stories of Serial Killers have long captured the public’s fascination. Their motives and methods install a fear and capture our imagination. These cunning psychopaths, and cold-blooded murderers have left indelible marks on history.
The stories of serial killers remind us of the darkness that can reside within the human psyche. With frequent discussions about these criminals in the media, our fascination with them has grown even more.
While the majority of serial killers throughout history have been male, there is no lack of women serial killers who have committed heinous acts.
Top 10 Infamous Women Serial Killers
In this article, we will explore the lives of the top 10 most notorious women serial killers, exploring their backgrounds, crimes and eventual fates.
We hope that their stories shed light on a dark corner of human behavior, and also serve as a lesson not to be like them.
So, let’s get straight into the list:
10. Jane Toppan (1857 – 1938)
Jane Toppan was born in 1857 in Massachusetts. She is described to be an attention seeking child since the beginning. She grew up in a troubled family, facing abuse and instability. As a young woman, Jane trained as a nurse. However, her life took a twist when she started to use her knowledge of medicine to murder her patients.
Her preferred method was administering lethal doses of drugs, leading to the deaths of at least 31 people. Toppan’s crimes went undetected for years until a suspicious family member alerted authorities. She was arrested in 1901 and ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity. Toppan spent the rest of her life confined to a mental institution, where she died in 1938.
9. Dorothea Puente (1929 – 2011)
Number 9 our list of famous women serial killers goes to Dorothea Punente. Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house for elderly and mentally ill individuals in Sacramento, California. Preying on their vulnerabilities, Puente would drug and kill her tenants, stealing their Social Security checks. A gruesome discovery of human remains buried in the boarding house’s yard finally brought her crimes to light. Sentenced to life in prison, Puente died behind bars in 2011.
8. Nannie Doss (1905 – 1990)
Nannie Doss holds the record for the most confirmed female serial killer in the United States. Born in Alabama,she earned the nickname “the Giggling Granny” for cheerful demeanor.
Doss married multiple times throughout her life, with each husband of hers meeting a grim fate.
She poisoned at least four husbands, along with numerous other family members, including her two of her children, her sister, and her mother-in-law.
The reason of these crimes is believed to be a desire for insurance money and a morbid fascination with funerals.
Doss’s crimes remained undiscovered until 1954 when authorities uncovered her trail of death. She confessed to her crimes and was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 1965.
7. Miyuki Ishikawa (1949 – 2008)
Miyuki Ishikawa, along with accomplice Hiroko Matsumoto, became known as the “Soapland Killers” in Japan. Luring men to their Tokyo brothel, Ishikawa and Matsumoto drugged, strangled, and dismembered their victims, dissolving their bodies in lye and encasing the remains in concrete. Motive for the killings remains unclear, with some theories suggesting financial gain or a thrill-seeking motive. Both women were sentenced to death and hanged in 2008.
6. Juana Barraza (1957 – 2012)
Known as the “Mataviejitas” (Old Lady Killer), Juana Barraza was a professional wrestler in Mexico. However, Barraza led a double life, preying on elderly women living alone. She would gain their trust, overpower them, and then strangle them. Police believe she murdered at least 17 women, driven by a hatred for her own mother and a desire for financial gain. Barraza was sentenced to 75 years in prison but died behind bars in 2012. Because of her sly and manipulative nature, she deserves a spot on our list of famous women serial killers.
5. Gesche Gottfried (1831 – 1883)
Gesche Gottfried, a German arsenic murderer, poisoned at least 15 people, including her husbands, children, and neighbors. Her motivations were complex, ranging from a desire for inheritance to simply eliminating those who displeased her. Gottfried’s crimes were only discovered after a failed attempt on her last intended victim. She was convicted and beheaded in 1883.
4. Belle Gunness (1859 – Disappeared 1908)
The story of Belle Gunness remains shrouded in mystery.
Belle was born in 1859 in Norway and immigrated to the United States as a young woman in search for a better life. However, her aspirations were too high. Gunness is believed to have murdered her two daughters, multiple husbands, and farmhands for insurance money.
Gunness’s method of choice was poisoning or bludgeoning her victims before dismembering their bodies and burying them on her farm.
Her crimes went undetected for years. In 1908, a fire destroyed her farmhouse, and a body believed to be hers was found. However, some people believe that Gunness may have faked her own death and escaped with her money.
3. Kristen Gilbert (1962 – 2016)
Kristen Gilbert was a licensed practical nurse in Massachusetts who worked at a veterans’ home. She became a suspect in the deaths of up to four patients under her care between 1988 and 2001.
Targeting elderly veterans with heart conditions, Gilbert allegedly manipulated their medications or directly injected them with lethal doses.
During her trial, Gilbert was convicted of four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. She was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, cementing her status as one of the most notorious female serial killers in history.
2. Karla Homolka (1970 – 2021)
Karla Homolka was a Canadian woman and a serial killer who will forever be remembered for terrible crimes she committed.
In the 1990s, she was married to Paul Bernardo. Together, they were called the “Ken and Barbie Killers” because they seemed like a perfect couple on the outside. But behind closed doors, they were responsible for horrible crimes. Homolka and Bernardo tortured, raped, and murdered young women.
When their crimes were discovered and they were dragged to court, Homolka admitted she took part in the crimes in exchange for a lighter sentence.
She was sentenced to 12 years in prison. After her release in 2005, Homolka changed her name and tried to live a new life. However, the public never forgot her crimes. In a surprise twist, Karla Homolka died by suicide in 2021.
1. Aileen Wuornos (1956 – 2002)
Aileen Wuornos is perhaps the most infamous among the women serial killer of modern times. Wuornos was born in 1956 in Michigan and had a traumatic childhood.
She turned to prostitution at a young age, drifting across the country and eventually settling in Florida. Wuornos’s killing spree began in 1989 when she claimed her first victim, a john she accused of assault. Over the course of the next year, she murdered six more men, often luring them with promises of sex before shooting them at point-blank range. Wuornos’s crimes gained nationwide attention, and she was apprehended in 1991.
Wuornos claimed self-defense as the reason for these crimes, however, the evidence pointed towards a predatory pattern. Wuornos was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. She was executed by lethal injection in 2002.
Summary | Top 10 infamous women serial killers
If you skipped the details, do not worry! Here is a list of top 10 infamous women serial killers laid out for you.
- Aileen Wuornos
- Karla Homolka
- Kristen Gilbert
- Belle Gunness
- Gesche Gottfried
- Juana Barraza
- Miyuki Ishikawa
- Nannie Doss
- Dorothea Puente
- Jane Toppan
Conclusion | Top 10 infamous women serial killers
The women serial killers on this list represent just a fraction of these killers who have walked among us. There are so many more that we do not know and may never know. The stories of these 10 notorious women serial killers serve as a chilling reminder of the capacity for evil that exists within the human psyche. By understanding these cases, we can strive to prevent future tragedies and ensure safety of the innocent.
