Infamous Black Widows

Published Fri, Feb 5 20107:01 PM ESTUpdated Fri, Feb 5 20107:01 PM EST

Women Who Kill

Since the early 1970s, law enforcement authorities have noted a significant increase in the number of women convicted of murder. Their victims are typically close to them — quite frequently family members or close acquaintances. And the motive? It often involves personal gain — most often, life insurance policies naming the suspected murderess as the benefactor.Here, we take a look at some of the most notorious murder cases committed by women over the last century that involve their families and

Posted Feb. 5, 2010

Since the early 1970s, law enforcement authorities have noted a significant increase in the number of women convicted of murder. Their victims are typically close to them — quite frequently family members or close acquaintances. And the motive? It often involves personal gain — most often, life insurance policies naming the suspected murderess as the benefactor.

Here, we take a look at some of the most notorious murder cases committed by women over the last century that involve their families and friends as victims — some of the world's deadliest and most notorious "black widows."

By Constance Parten, Senior Producer

Betty Lou Beets

1937 2 husbands Executed Feb. 26, 2000On Oct. 11, 1985, Betty Lou Beets was found guilty of shooting her fifth husband, Jimmy Don, and faking his death in a boating accident in August, 1983. During the investigation, a search of her home revealed the body of another husband found buried in a garage. He also had been shot, but Beets was never tried for his murder. Beets' son testified against her in court in the case of Jimmy Don's murder. After 10 years of appeals, the great-grandmother was exe

Courtesy Photo: Texas Department of Criminal Justice

Born: 1937
Suspected Murders: 2 husbands
Status: Executed Feb. 26, 2000

On Oct. 11, 1985, Betty Lou Beets was found guilty of shooting her fifth husband, Jimmy Don, and faking his death in a boating accident in August, 1983.

During the investigation, a search of her home revealed the body of another husband found buried in a garage. He also had been shot, but Beets was never tried for his murder.

Beets' son testified against her in court in the case of Jimmy Don's murder. After 10 years of appeals, the great-grandmother was executed by lethal injection.

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Blanche Moore

1933 Father, 2 husbands, boyfriend, mother-in-law Awaiting Execution on death rowAuthorities became suspicious of Blanche Moore after her new husband, Rev. Dwight Moore, fell mysteriously ill in 1989. When a toxicology screening revealed arsenic in his system, authorities decided to exhume five other people closely related to Blanche. All five bodies showed elevated levels of arsenic. She was convicted in 1990 for the death of her second husband and remains on death row in North Carolina.

Courtesy Photo: The Burlington Times-News

Born: 1933
Suspected Murders: Father, 2 husbands, boyfriend, mother-in-law
Status: Awaiting Execution on death row

Authorities became suspicious of Blanche Moore after her new husband, Rev. Dwight Moore, fell mysteriously ill in 1989. When a toxicology screening revealed arsenic in his system, authorities decided to exhume five other people closely related to Blanche. All five bodies showed elevated levels of arsenic.

She was convicted in 1990 for the death of her second husband and remains on death row in North Carolina.

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Judi Buenoano

1943 Husband, son, boyfriend Executed March 30, 1998Judi Buenoano was the first woman to sit in Florida's electric chair when she was executed in 1998 for the murder of her husband, James Goodyear. Buenoano was not suspected of involvement in his death until she attempted to kill her boyfriend 12 years later by giving him arsenic-laced "vitamins" and then blowing up his car. When her husband's body was exhumed, it was found to contain arsenic. That same year, she was convicted of killing her pa

Courtesy Photo: Florida Department of Corrections

Born: 1943
Suspected murders: Husband, son, boyfriend
Status: Executed March 30, 1998

Judi Buenoano was the first woman to sit in Florida's electric chair when she was executed in 1998 for the murder of her husband, James Goodyear. Buenoano was not suspected of involvement in his death until she attempted to kill her boyfriend 12 years later by giving him arsenic-laced "vitamins" and then blowing up his car. When her husband's body was exhumed, it was found to contain arsenic.

That same year, she was convicted of killing her partially paralyzed 19-year-old son by intentionally capsizing a canoe while he was in it.

Over the years, she collected more than $240,000 in insurance money for the deaths of her husband, son and a previous boyfriend in Colorado. Buenoano never admitted any of the killings.

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Nannie Doss

1905 11, including 4 husbands Died in prison of leukemia, June 2, 1965Following the death of Nannie Doss's fifth husband, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation toxicologist discovered enough poison in his remains to kill 10 men.The discovery sparked an investigation, and Doss confessed to poisoning numerous family members: four husbands, two children, her mother, two sisters, a nephew, and a grandson. The horrific case resulted in the creation of the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office

Courtesy Photo: Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation

Born: 1905
Suspected murders: 11, including 4 husbands
Status: Died in prison of leukemia, June 2, 1965

Following the death of Nannie Doss's fifth husband, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation toxicologist discovered enough poison in his remains to kill 10 men.

The discovery sparked an investigation, and Doss confessed to poisoning numerous family members: four husbands, two children, her mother, two sisters, a nephew, and a grandson. The horrific case resulted in the creation of the Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office.

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Helen Golay and Olga Rutterschmidt

1931, 1933 2 Life in prison without paroleGolay (left) and Rutterschmidt conspired to befriend men down on their luck, house them, open bank accounts in their names, then take out life insurance policies in their names with themselves as the benefactors. The duo was finally caught after police spotted similarities between two supposedly accidental deaths, in which both women were associated with the victims. In all, they'd taken out nearly $7 million in insurance policies.Watch on CNBC Feb. 10,

Born: 1931, 1933
Suspected murders: 2
Status: Life in prison without parole

Golay (left) and Rutterschmidt conspired to befriend men down on their luck, house them, open bank accounts in their names, then take out life insurance policies in their names with themselves as the benefactors.

The duo was finally caught after police spotted similarities between two supposedly accidental deaths, in which both women were associated with the victims. In all, they'd taken out nearly $7 million in insurance policies.

Review the American Greed Case File

Watch on CNBC Feb. 10, 9pm ET

Janie Gibbs

1932 Husband, 3 children, grandchild Medical release, April 18, 2007Georgia grandmother Janie Gibbs was arrested for the murder of her husband, three sons and a grandson in 1967. She was not convicted of feeding her family members rat poison until 1976, however. Deemed unfit to stand trial, Gibbs spent eight years in a state mental facility.She was sentenced to life for each of the five murders. According to newspaper reports, Gibbs said at the time: "I don't know why I did it. I loved them all

Courtesy Photo: Georgia Department of Corrections

Born: 1932
Suspected murders: Husband, 3 children, grandchild
Status: Medical release, April 18, 2007

Georgia grandmother Janie Gibbs was arrested for the murder of her husband, three sons and a grandson in 1967. She was not convicted of feeding her family members rat poison until 1976, however. Deemed unfit to stand trial, Gibbs spent eight years in a state mental facility.

She was sentenced to life for each of the five murders. According to newspaper reports, Gibbs said at the time: "I don't know why I did it. I loved them all."

In 1999, Gibbs received a medical release from prison, suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease. She lives in a nursing home in Douglasville, Ga.

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Betty Neumar

1931 3-5 husbands Under investigation, pending trialPolice continue to investigate the deaths of this North Carolina woman's five husbands, three of whom died from gunshot wounds. Neuman's first husband was shot 18 years after he and Neumar separated. Her second husband froze to death, she says, in a truck in New York. Husband number three "shot himself" in his side during a drunken argument with Neumar.In May 2008 Neumar was charged with hiring a hit man to kill her fourth husband. She was out

Courtesy Photo: Augusta, Ga. Police Department

Born: 1931
Suspected Murders: 3-5 husbands
Status: Under investigation, pending trial

Police continue to investigate the deaths of this North Carolina woman's five husbands, three of whom died from gunshot wounds. Neuman's first husband was shot 18 years after he and Neumar separated. Her second husband froze to death, she says, in a truck in New York. Husband number three "shot himself" in his side during a drunken argument with Neumar.

In May 2008 Neumar was charged with hiring a hit man to kill her fourth husband. She was out of town when he was shot six times in their home. Her fifth husband's death certificate says he died of sepsis. His death is considered suspicious, but an analysis of his ashes for traces of arsenic came back negative.

"I got no insurance from the first one, no insurance from the third one. After Harold died I got $50,000. But as far as all this money and all this stuff goes, there wasn't none," she told the BBC in a 2009 interview.

North Carolina authorities would not confirm the status of her case except that it is still under investigation.

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Amy Archer-Gilligan

1873 5-48, including two husbands Died of natural causes, 1962Amy Archer-Gilligan ran a home for the elderly with her husband, James Archer, who died unexpectedly after falling ill. Insurance proceeds from his death allowed Archer-Gilligan to continue operating the home. She later married Michael Gilligan, who died not long after their marriage. Meanwhile, seemingly healthy residents at the home were dying, all after signing paperwork leaving part of their estates to Archer-Gilligan. Suspicious

Alfred Eisenstaedt | Time & Life Pictures | Getty Images

Born: 1873
Suspected murders: 5-48, including two husbands
Status: Died of natural causes, 1962

Amy Archer-Gilligan ran a home for the elderly with her husband, James Archer, who died unexpectedly after falling ill. Insurance proceeds from his death allowed Archer-Gilligan to continue operating the home.

She later married Michael Gilligan, who died not long after their marriage. Meanwhile, seemingly healthy residents at the home were dying, all after signing paperwork leaving part of their estates to Archer-Gilligan. Suspicious families notified authorities and the home was raided. A large stash of arsenic was found. When the bodies of her husbands and many residents were exhumed, they all contained arsenic.

Archer-Gilligan was sentenced to life in prison in 1917. She later was placed in an insane asylum where she died in 1962 at age 89.

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Elfriede "Sugar" Blauensteiner

1931 Confessed to 5 Died of a brain tumor, 2003This Austrian widow confessed to five murders during her 1996 court hearings, including her second husband's and stepfather's. Blauensteiner also befriended elderly victims then poisoned them after persuading them to alter their wills making her a benefactor. Blauensteiner was sentenced to life in prison in 1997. She died of a brain tumor in 2003 in a Vienna hospital.

Roland Schlager | AFP | Getty Images

Born: 1931
Suspected murders: Confessed to 5
Status: Died of a brain tumor, 2003

This Austrian widow confessed to five murders during her 1996 court hearings, including her second husband's and stepfather's.

Blauensteiner also befriended elderly victims then poisoned them after persuading them to alter their wills making her a benefactor.

Blauensteiner was sentenced to life in prison in 1997. She died of a brain tumor in 2003 in a Vienna hospital.

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