Today about 85% of all serial killers are male. On the rare occasions when a woman commits murder, it is far more shocking to society. But history reveals a handful of femme fatals who took the lives of others to gain power or even for their own sadistic pleasure. Royal and noble women were particularly well positioned to indulge their evil impulses. Wealth and power gave them nearly limitless freedom to prey on peasants, who in turn had little means of seeking justice. Today we’ll investigate the cases of 5 female aristocratic serial murderers from history:

Anula, Queen of Anuradhapura, ? – 44 BCE

Elizabeth Báthory, Hungarian Countess 1560 – 1614

Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, “La Quintrala”, Spanish & Chilean Noblewoman 1604 – 1665

Marie-Madeleine d’Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers 1630 – 1676

Darya Nikolayevna Saltykova, 1755–1762

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Intro Music: Baroque Coffee House by Doug Maxwell Music: From Russia with Love by Huma-Huma

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