Latest news with #KolsumAkbari
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
'Black widow', 56, who poisoned her 11 elderly husbands faces the death penalty in Iran
A woman who poisoned and killed her 11 husbands over a 22-year period is currently facing the death penalty in Iran. Kolsum Akbari, 56, married elderly men before administering blood pressure medications, diabetes drugs, sedatives and even industrial alcohol in order to inherit their property. Akbari's sick actions went undetected for more than two decades, due to her victims old ages and health conditions, until she confessed to the killings. She currently awaits sentencing. The families of her victims are now asking for her execution. Beginning in 2000 and carrying on until 2023, she killed over and over until she became careless with her final husband, 82-year-old Gholamreza Babaei. Babei's son was suspicious of the woman after a family friend revealed his own father had previously been married to a woman called Kolsum who had tried to poison him. Police were called, and the woman was arrested. Upon interrogation police managed to get her to confess, though she reportedly gave conflicting accounts on just how many people she killed. She said: 'I don't know how many I killed. Maybe it was 13 or 15 people. I don't remember exactly.' Her life as a married woman began when she was just 18, having been involved in a short marriage with a man who suffered mental health problems. She was then married to a much older man who had children from a prior marriage. Akbari was said to have been regularly beaten by her husband and stepsons. After her second husband died, she is said to have sought out marriages with lonely older men through women's gatherings. She would befriend the daughters of these men and, after investigating their means, would agree to marry them for a significant dowry. Though she administer poisons, in some cases she would suffocate victims with pillows and towels. In many cases, the victims would die shortly after getting married to her. Mirahmad Omrani, 69, died a month after their marriage in 2013; Esmail Bakhshi, 62, died two months after their 2016 wedding, and Ganjali Hamzei, 83, died 43 days after marrying her. One man survived Akbari's attempted murder in 2020 after consuming tainted soup. Though he kicked her out, he chose not to report the incident to police. Akbari was charged with 11 counts of premeditated murder and one count of attempted murder. Though Akbari initially tried to deny the charges in the Sari Revolutionary Court on Wednesday, she eventually confessed to the killings. Her victims lives in cities across Iran, which stopped authorities from connecting the dots for years. Their families have asked for her execution, though the court will only deliver its verdict once hearing from all 45 plaintiffs involved in the case.
Telegraph
4 days ago
- Telegraph
‘Black widow' who fatally poisoned 11 elderly husbands for inheritance faces execution
A woman who poisoned 11 husbands to death over a 22-year period is facing execution in Iran. Kolsum Akbari, 56, systematically married elderly men before murdering them with diabetes drugs and industrial alcohol to inherit their property and dowries. The killings went undetected for more than two decades because victims appeared to die of natural causes due to their advanced age and existing health conditions. Akbari confessed to the killings and she is awaiting sentencing, with victims' family members calling for her execution. The killings began in 2000 and continued until 2023, when the death of her final victim, 82-year-old Gholamreza Babaei, led to her arrest. Babaei's son became suspicious after a family friend revealed his own father had previously been married to a woman named Kolsum who had tried to poison him. The family recognised her as Babaei's most recent wife and contacted police. During interrogation, Akbari confessed to the murders, though she gave conflicting accounts on the number of victims. Unsuccessful union 'I don't know how many I killed. Maybe it was 13 or 15 people. I don't remember exactly,' she said. She first married at the age of 18 in what relatives described as a brief and unsuccessful union with a man suffering from mental health problems. Her second marriage was to a much older man with children from a previous marriage. She lived with him in a northern village for years while reportedly suffering repeated beatings from her husband and stepsons. After his death, Akbari would attend women's gatherings and express interest in marrying elderly, lonely men. She would gain access to potential victims through their daughters' acquaintances and after confirming their financial status, she would agree to marriage with high dowries. She then gradually poisoned victims with combinations of blood pressure medications, diabetes drugs, sedatives and in some cases industrial alcohol. When drugs alone proved insufficient, she would suffocate victims with pillows and towels. The murders happened across multiple cities in northern Mazandaran province, including Sari, Neka, Mahmoudabad, Babol and Qaemshahr. Geographic distribution The geographic distribution helped prevent authorities from connecting the deaths for years. Among the confirmed victims were Mirahmad Omrani, 69, who died a month after their marriage in 2013, Esmail Bakhshi, 62, who died two months after their 2016 wedding, and Ganjali Hamzei, 83, who died 43 days after marrying. One man, Masih Nemati, survived Akbari's poisoning attempt in 2020 after drinking contaminated syrup. He expelled her from his home but did not file a police complaint. At Wednesday's hearing in the Sari Revolutionary Court, families of four victims demanded Akbari's execution under the Islamic law. The case involves more than 45 plaintiffs, including direct heirs and relatives of dead family members. Akbari initially denied the charges but confessed to the killings when crime scene reconstruction footage was played in court. Her lawyer argued for a mental health evaluation, but plaintiffs rejected the claim. Property and dowries 'Such a skilful plan that deceived many prominent families cannot be the work of an insane person,' one family member said, mentioning the sophisticated drug combinations and careful planning involved. The indictment includes 11 counts of premeditated murder and one count of attempted murder. Akbari typically transferred inherited property and dowries to her daughter's name, prosecutors said. The case has become a cultural phenomenon in Iran, spawning jokes among couples and inspiring a popular state television series that aired during Persian New Year holidays to name a character after her. While the show did not explicitly reference Akbari, Iranian audiences understood the connection and generated additional satirical content about the case. Victims' families expressed frustration that the case has become fodder for social media jokes. 'This incident was difficult and terrifying for us because the victims of this crime were our fathers,' a family member of one victim said. 'Now instead of witnessing swift justice and a thorough investigation of this case, we are seeing jokes that deepen our grief.'
