Maria
Swanenburg
By: Rachel Hnatuck
Background Information
• Born: September 9, 1839
Died: April 11, 1915
• Dutch serial murderer
• Her name means “bitter
sea”
• Her nickname was Goeie
Mie, Dutch for "Good Mie"
(she got this name by taking
care of children and ill
people in the poor
neighborhood of Leiden)
This is the neighborhood
where Maria Swanenburg
grew up
Background Information Cont.
• She is known for poisoning people with
arsenic.
• Maria committed crimes for the money.
• Caught when arsenic levels were too low to
kill all in one family in food and survivors
complained that it tasted funny.
Here are their kids
This is Maria Swanenburg
Childhood
Here are their kids
• Maria grew up poor in outskirts of Leiden, The
Netherlands.
• When old enough, took care of ill in
neighborhood.
• Family evicted from home at age 12 because
rent unpaid.
• Rarely came outside after that.
• Married at age 30 and had 5 sons and 2
daughters. Marriage ended in 1886.
Personality
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Criminally insane
Psychotic
Very Manipulative
Greedy
This picture represents Swanenburg’s
personality because she would treat people
as puppets, getting them to do what she
wanted.
Specifics of the Case
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•
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Took out insurance and burial funds on ill and elderly she was taking care of. Took
money when they died and left no money for burial.
Maria got the arsenic from a paint store and told the shopkeeper that she was
cleaning her home to get rid of rats. It was delivered on whitewash but she
scraped it off and it was fine to use.
Became greedy and started killing entire families for entire inheritance.
Not suspected because she always had someone with her when poisoned people
died. She was considered an angel to the dying.
Between 1880 and 1883, Maria poisoned twenty-seven people. It was rumored
her mother was first victim in 1880. Also rumored that she killed 2 of her children.
Shortly after this, she killed her father too with arsenic (rat poison) and failed to
kill at least another fifty using the same method.
The investigation included ninety deaths. Forty-five of the survivors sustained
chronic health problems after ingesting the poison.
Swanenberg's motive was the money she would receive either through the
victims' insurance or their inheritance.
It affected ninety people.
This is the Arsenic
that she poisoned
people with
Criminal Proceedings
This is a correctional facility like
the one Swanenburg was at
• She was caught when trying to poison the
Groothuizen’s, her husband’s sister-in-law and
her family, in December 1883.
• She fed them barley gruel laced with arsenic.
Not everyone died and the survivors
complained that the barley tasted funny.
• Maria Swanenburg was arrested for the
deaths and bodies of others were exhumed to
confirm more victims.
Trial and Verdict
• Maria Swanenburg’s trial began April 23,
1885.
• She was found guilty and sentenced to life.
• Maria Swanenburg lived in a correctional
facility where she died in 1915.
This is the plaque marking
marking Maria’s birthplace
Psychology’s Role
• Most have underlying psychiatric disorders
• May have ADHD diagnosis with behavioral and
cognitive disorders
• May have Conduct Disorder with repetitive and
persistent pattern of behavior. Violation of the
basic rights of others and age appropriate social
norms
• Intermittent explosive disorder with strong
aggressive impulses that they can’t resist and act
upon, resulting in serious assaults or destruction
of property
Psychology’s Role
Antisocial Personality Disorder
• Three traits are considered diagnostic
• Failure to conform to social norms w/ respect to
lawful behaviors repeatedly performing acts as
grounds for arrest
• Deceitfulness as indicated by repeatedly lying,
using aliases or conning others for personal
profit/pleasure
• Lack of remorse
• Reckless disregard for safety of others
Psychology’s Role
• Commonly observed in children and
adolescence and into adulthood. Deceit and
manipulation are central features
• 80-85% of jailed criminals have antisocial
personality disorder, only 20% are
psychopaths
• 50% of all serial killers and repeat rapists are
psychopaths
Psychology’s Role
• Dr. Robert D Hare’s “Psychopath ChecklistRecord” is a diagnostic tool used to assess
psychopaths
Psychopaths
• Selfish, callous and remorseless use of others
• Chronically, unstable, antisocial, and socially
deviant lifestyle
• They suffered as children
• Serial killers didn’t begin their killings until their
late 20s, 30s, or 40s
My Reaction
My reaction to this case is shock. I feel this way
because she poisoned older and ill people just
so she could get some money. It makes me
feel sick that once she liked getting the money
from murdering older people, that she then
started murdering families, including children,
so that she could get even more through their
inheritance. It also makes me mad. I feel this
way because it took the police a long time to
catch her.
My Reaction, cont’d
She was able to murder 90 people without
getting caught. It was only because she was
careless and didn’t use enough arsenic in the
food to kill her relatives that she was
discovered. The relatives complained of the
way the food tasted that led to her discovery.
I feel it is unfortunate that she didn’t get the
psychiatric help she needed.
Works Cited
•
2007, By. "Zodiac Killer - Case Summary." Zodiac Killer Facts. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.zodiackillerfacts.com/case.htm>.
•
Ghare, By Madhavi. "List of Famous Serial Killers." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 27 Oct.
2010. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/list-of-famous-serial-killers.html>.
•
"Kathleen Folbigg." Ask Biography. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.askbiography.com/bio/Kathleen_Folbigg.html>.
•
"Mary Ann Cotton, Serial Killer." Suite101.com: Online Magazine and Writers' Network. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.suite101.com/content/mary-ann-cotton-serial-killer-a248523>.
•
"Psychological_assoc.html." Macalester College: Private Liberal Arts College. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.macalester.edu/psychology/whathap/UBNRP/serialkillers/psychological_assoc.html>.
•
"Antisocial Personality Disorder." Internet Mental Health. Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-pe04.html>.
•
Mann, Denise. "Psychopath Serial Killer - Information on MedicineNet.com." Web. 27 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=50579&page=2>.