Poisoners

People have been poisoning each other for as long as written history has existed, and probably before that. In the past, it was one of the preferred methods of eliminating people in high places silently, unobtrusively, and swiftly. With the advent of life insurance in the mid-19th century, when the victim gained monetary value, death by poisoning became somewhat of a commercial transaction.

Poisonings have evolved along with the scientific knowledge and literacy of the population, the availability of accounts in newspapers and other published material, and the fascination with all things lethal by authors grinding out fictional accounts of “the perfect murder.” Some of the more common poisons include arsenic, cyanide, and strychnine; however, acids, aniline compounds, atropine, scopolamine, insulin, lye, carbon monoxide, metallic compounds, nicotine, opiates, phosphorous, sodium fluoride, and succinylcholine have also been used to kill unsuspecting victims.

The dividing line between medicines and poisons is a fine one. A compound at one dose may be therapeutic but at an increased dose may be lethal. Poisoners with access to medically used pharmaceuticals are at a distinct advantage. They are usually trusted by the victims and frequently have knowledge about what kills and what does not. Also, a patient may be legitimately taking some pharmaceuticals, making toxicological examinations less definitive.

In the 19th century, the apprehended poisoner was more likely to be a male. Examples are Dr. William Palmer, in 1856, who was thought to have poisoned as many as a dozen family members and friends for insurance and other financial gain. George Chapman, from 1897 to 1902, killed three women, all of whom were pretending to be his wives. His poison of choice was antimony. Thomas Griffiths Wainewright, in the late 1700s, killed three female relatives for the inheritance and insurance money. Not all poisoners in that era were men, however. For example, from 1852 to 1872, Mary Ann Cotton killed more than 20 victims, including husbands and children, by putting arsenic in their tea. She stood to benefit financially from the deaths of many of her victims.

In modern times, most poisoners are women. The few notable exceptions are health care workers who kill in their workplaces. This type of serial murderer is very successful and is frequently able to avoid apprehension for much longer than the more notorious male serial killers. She chooses her poison and her victims very carefully, plans the crime methodically, and is aided by society's bias that denies the existence of female serial murderers. She exhibits a preference for [Page 353]victims who are children, the elderly, or spouses and is often the last to be suspected of harming them. The women who kill in this manner are frequently dubbed “Black Widows” or “Angels of Death.” They kill for revenge or financial gain, or both. Occasionally, a woman kills without an obvious reason for doing so, though this situation is fairly rare.