Deadlier Than You Think: The Chilling Reality of Female Serial Killers
“You are the monster that no one sees coming,” declared U.S. District Judge Thomas Kleeh in 2021 as he sentenced Reta Mays, a former nursing assistant, for the cold-blooded murder of seven elderly veterans. A chilling statement—but even more chilling is the fact that female serial killers like Mays often evade suspicion longer than their male counterparts.
Dr. Marissa Harrison, an evolutionary psychologist and author of Just as Deadly: The Psychology of Female Serial Killers, has spent years unraveling the dark truth behind these elusive murderers. She argues that female serial killers are not only understudied but also underestimated in brutality, often shielded by society’s perception of them as nurturing caregivers, devoted wives, or grieving widows. Her research spans centuries, from modern-day murderers to Belle Gunness, who lured victims through “Lonely Hearts” ads in the late 19th and early 20th centuries before killing them for financial gain.
Are Female Serial Killers Just as Deadly as Men?
Some critics push back against the idea, pointing out that male serial killers tend to rack up higher victim counts. But Dr. Harrison offers a sobering perspective: “Dead is dead. And if you look at individual cases, women can be just as prolific. Take ‘Jolly’ Jane Toppan—she confessed to killing over 100 people.”
Many people refuse to believe that women are capable of such horrors. “It falls under the umbrella of ‘Women don’t do that.’ But they do. And studies show they often get away with it for longer.”
Breaking the Silence with Science
Dr. Harrison’s approach to her book is meticulous and data-driven, a stark contrast to the often sensationalized, reference-light books on serial killers. “I’m a psychological scientist. If I make a statement, I back it up. That’s why my book includes 1,200 references—court reports, media sources, direct data collection. I wanted a well-rounded, scientific picture of why someone, particularly a woman, might choose the path of serial murder.”
A Dark Discovery: The Making of a Murderer
One of the most shocking discoveries during her research? The sheer number of female serial killers who suffered severe trauma in childhood. “This isn’t going to make me popular, but when I was done researching, I actually felt bad for many of them. Of course, I feel worse for the victims. But in nearly every case, these women were abused as children—beaten, molested, abandoned. They needed help and never got it.”
Dr. Harrison is quick to clarify that not every abused child becomes a killer. “But what if some of these women had received mental health intervention? Could they have been stopped before they started?”
When Help Never Comes: The Tragic Case of Aileen Wuornos
If there’s one infamous case that highlights the devastating consequences of neglect, it’s Aileen Wuornos. “Her grandfather raped her. Her father died by suicide. Her mother abandoned her. She had an incestuous relationship with her brother. A school counselor tried to get her therapy, but her grandmother refused. Aileen had mental illnesses. If she had gotten help, maybe seven men wouldn’t have been shot to death.”
The Emotional Toll of Studying Serial Killers
Even for a seasoned researcher, the brutality of female serial killers was difficult to stomach. “After writing about one particularly gruesome crime, I had to take the rest of the day off and look at pictures of puppies,” she admits.
“I started this research in 2014, and I haven’t become desensitized—I’ve become more sensitized. Reading about Josephine Otero, a little girl murdered by BTK, made me cry. Learning how Dana Sue Gray nearly decapitated an elderly woman just to steal her credit card? It made me sick.”
But Dr. Harrison believes that acknowledging the horror is necessary. “I owe it to the victims. I leave out certain details to avoid revictimization, but we cannot turn a blind eye to this.”
The Difference Between Male and Female Serial Killers
The motives for serial murder often differ between genders. “Men tend to kill for status or sexual gratification. Women? Financial gain is the most common reason. But power and ‘missionary’ motives—believing they’re ‘doing the world a favor’—also play a role.”
One particularly unnerving trend? The number of female serial killers who work in caregiving roles. “I spoke to a nurse friend about this, and she told me, ‘Right now, there are 100 ways I could kill you, and no one would ever figure it out.’ That’s terrifying. These killers understand that their position gives them an extraordinary amount of control over life and death.”
Final Thoughts: The Hidden Threat Among Us
The idea of a female serial killer doesn’t fit the mold we expect. That’s exactly why they’re so dangerous. They operate in plain sight, cloaked in trust. They don’t lurk in dark alleys—they bring you soup when you’re sick, smile sweetly at your children, and hold your hand in a hospital bed.
Society needs to stop underestimating them.
Because sometimes, the most dangerous monsters are the ones you never see coming.
