Some Black Widows had children from their earliest marriages. We mentioned a few of these killer mothers in the previous chapter. The Black Widow s fa ade holds up well in a society that has always placed so much stock in the virtue of the faithful wife and doting Mom. The majority of Black Widows begin killing in their mid-thirties, although some have begun much earlier. Based on cases of record, the average number of victims has been six to thirteen in the United States and ten to fifteen in other countries.
Murders occur within an average span of eleven years in the States and sixteen elsewhere.
Motive is profit, and only on rare occasions does rage enter into the crime. There have also been a few cases where the Black Widow has been suspected of murdering someone who she fears has learned the truth about her. Otherwise, every murder is a well-planned, methodical masterpiece. Following are a dozen profiles of Black Widows who scholars like the Kellehers, Hickey and others uphold as the most wicked, colorful, and dangerous of the lot. They cover a virtual history of the Black Widow in modern times.