Who is the Most Evil Female Serial Killer in History ()

Synopsis:
A serial killer is traditionally defined as a person who has killed three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time (a "cooling off period") between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification. Some sources, such as the FBI, disregard the "three or more" criteria and define the term as "a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone" or, including the vital characteristics, a minimum of two murders. Often, a sexual element is involved in the killings, but the FBI states that motives for serial murder include "anger, thrill, financial gain, and attention seeking". The murders may have been attempted or completed in a similar fashion and the victims may have had something in common; for example, occupation, race, appearance, sex, or age group

Female serial killers
Highway prostitute Aileen Wuornos killed seven men in Florida in 1989 and 1990

Other sources state that female serial killers historically represent nearly one in every six known serial murderers in the United States between 1800 and 2004 (64 females from a total of 416 known offenders): over 15% of all known American serial killers have been women, with a collective number of victims between 427-612.

Some studies have concluded that female serial killers tend to murder men for material gain, are usually emotionally close to their victims, and generally need to have a relationship with the victim, hence the traditional cultural image of the "Black Widow". Some recent studies, however, indicate that since 1975, increasingly strangers are marginally the most preferred victim of female serial killers, and only 26% of female serial killers kill for material gain only. Victims are not confined to males/husbands, as one "analysis of 86 female serial killers from the U.S. found that the victims tended to be spouses, children or the elderly". In the U.S., 51% of all female serial killers murdered at least one woman and 31% percent murdered at least one child. The methods they use for murder are frequently covert or low-profile, such as murder by poison. They commit killings in specific places, such as their home or a health-care facility, or at different locations within the same city or state. Other methods used by female serial killers include shootings (used by 20%), suffocation (16%), stabbing (11%), and drowning (5%). Although female serial killers are often reported as murdering for money or other material gain, others frequently do it for attention, as an addiction, or as a result of psychopathological behavioral factors. While some female serial killers have been diagnosed with Münchausen syndrome, Each killer will have her own proclivities, needs and triggers, as specific reasons can only be obtained from the killer herself. "In a review of published literature on female serial murder, sexual or sadistic motives are believed to be extremely rare in female serial murderers, and psychopathic traits and histories of childhood abuse have been consistently reported in these women." A new study by Eric W. Hickey (2010) of 64 female serial killers in the United States indicated that sex was one of several motives in 10% of the cases, enjoyment in 11% and control in 14%. In some cases, women have been involved as an accomplice with a male serial killer as a part of a serial killing "team".

Kelleher and Kelleher (1998) created several categories to describe female serial killers. They used the classifications of black widow, angel of death, sexual predator, revenge, profit or crime, team killer, question of sanity, unexplained and unsolved. In using these categories, they observed that most women fell into the categories of black widow and team killer. Though Castor was not officially defined as a serial killer, it is likely that she would have killed again. Peter Vronsky (2007) maintains that female serial killers today often kill for the same reason males do: as a means of expressing rage and control. He suggests that sometimes the theft of the victims' property by the female "Black Widow" type serial killer appears to be for "material gain"

A notable exception to the typical characteristics of female serial killers is Aileen Wuornos, who killed outdoors instead of at home, used a gun instead of poison, killed strangers instead of friends or family, and killed for personal gratification. The most prolific female serial killer in all of history is allegedly Elizabeth Báthory. Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed was a countess from the renowned Báthory family. After her husband's death, she and four collaborators were accused of torturing and killing hundreds of girls and young women, with one witness attributing to them over 600 victims, though the number for which they were convicted was 80. Elizabeth herself was neither tried nor convicted. In 1610, however, she was imprisoned in the Csejte Castle.
Watch