Murderers are far less likely to be female than male. In fact, according to a relatively recent study of homicide by the United Nations, only around 1 in 50 perpetrators of murder worldwide were women. That statistic is unlikely to have changed much over the last few centuries. It’s an undeniable factor in the assumption of gender made in new murder cases. Considering the archaic female stereotypes that persisted into the 20th century - women coming from Venus, being the “fairer sex”, and all that nonsense - it’s also why it’s so much more shocking when killers turn out to be women. Case in point: moors murderer Myra Hindley, who lured youngsters away to their death and was an equal, some might say more heinous, part of the torture and killing of at least three children with her partner, Ian Brady. In this book, we scrutinise some of the most infamous, the strangest and most shocking female murderers from around the world. Their crimes are no worse than equivalent murders committed by men, but they somehow make for an even more chilling read.
welcome to World’s Deadliest Women
Real Crime: World’s Deadliest Women, 2nd Ed
SHE MADE THEM SUFFER • THE CHILLING DETAILS OF THE MOORS MURDERERS’ CRIMES DOMINATED NEWSPAPERS FOR DECADES, MADE MORE SHOCKING BY THE FACT THAT A YOUNG WOMAN WAS INVOLVED IN THE SERIAL MURDER OF CHILDREN. WHAT MADE MYRA HINDLEY EVERY BIT AS SADISTIC A KILLER AS HER LOVER AND VILE PARTNER IN CRIME, IAN BRADY?
HER PLEA TO LIVE • BRADY AND HINDLEY MADE A SICKENING TAPE AND PHOTOGRAPHED LITTLE LESLEY ANN DOWNEY, BEFORE AND AFTER THEY KILLED HER
WHERE IS KEITH BENNETT? • THE WHEREABOUTS OF HIS MISSING VICTIM’S BODY WAS THE REMAINING SECRET THAT IAN BRADY TOOK TO THE GRAVE. OR WAS IT?
NAZIS, SADISM AND A CHRISTMAS CAROL • FOR DECADES THE MEDIA SPECULATED ON THE TEXTS THAT OCCUPIED BRADY’S BOOKSHELF AND MIND, BUT A CLOSE LOOK AT HIS LIBRARY OPENED UP A NEW CHAPTER ON THE KILLER
BUCKET LIST KILLER • SERIAL KILLER-OBSESSED JEMMA LILLEY HAD A VERY SPECIFIC LIFE GOAL IN MIND, ONE THAT SHE HOPED WOULD MAKE HER AS NOTORIOUS AS THE FICTIONAL MONSTERS SHE IDOLISED
MIND ON MURDER
CANNIBAL COUPLE • THE STEAMED MEAT WAS IN THE FRIDGE NEXT TO THE DOG. A DAY BEFORE SHE HAD MET DMITRY AND NATALIA, IT HAD BEEN ELENA VASHRUSHEVA
PANTRY OF HORRORS • DMITRY AND NATALIA WERE WELL STOCKED WITH MEAT – INVESTIGATORS STRUGGLED TO TELL IF IT WAS ANIMAL OR HUMAN
FORBIDDEN FRUIT • NATALIA AND DMITRY’S RELATIONSHIP DRIFTED BETWEEN MARRIED COUPLE AND MOTHER AND SON, BASED ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD
TASTE FOR THE MACABRE • DMITRY AND NATALIA MADE MACABRE ART OUT OF THEIR VICTIMS’ BODIES: CONJURER’S KITCHEN OWNER ANNABEL DE VETTEN’S EDIBLE DEATH PIECES SUGGEST WHY
DEATH ROW MOTHER • DARLIE ROUTIER SITS ON DEATH ROW AWAITING EXECUTION FOLLOWING THE BRUTAL MURDER OF TWO OF HER CHILDREN. MANY WONDER HOW MUCH LONGER SHE WILL BE THERE, BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS: SHOULD SHE BE THERE AT ALL?
THE CAT CONUNDRUM • COULD THE FAMILY CAT HOLD THE SECRET TO THE ALLEGED INTRUDER?
THE CRIME SCENE • DARLIE’S VERSION OF EVENTS DIDN’T MATCH THE FORENSIC EVIDENCE FOUND AT THE SCENE, CASTING DOUBT ON HER INNOCENCE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING
AND WHAT ABOUT DARIN? • DARIN ROUTIER SUPPOSEDLY SLEPT THROUGH THE ENTIRE MURDEROUS ATTACK ON HIS FAMILY
DOLL-FACED ASSASSINS • MANY BEFORE THEM HAD TRIED AND FAILED TO TAKE OUT KIM JONG-NAM, THE EXILED SON OF NORTH KOREA’S SUPREME LEADER. BUT HIS KILLERS CLAIM THEY WERE DUPED INTO ENDING HIS LIFE
PRACTICAL CHEMISTRY • WE ASKED AN EXPERT WHY THE VX DIDN’T KILL ANYONE ELSE
THE BLINK OF AN EYE • KIM JONG-NAM’S ASSASSINATION TOOK ONLY A MATTER OF SECONDS. HERE IS HOW IT HAPPENED
NOT SAFE ANYWHERE • NORTH KOREA HAS A HISTORY OF COMMITTING ASSASSINATION...