‘Black Widow’ of Iran: 58-Year-Old Woman Allegedly Poisoned and Killed 11 Husbands

58-year-old Kolsum Akbari is suspected of murdering 11 of her husbands — but investigators believe the number of victims could be at least twice as high.

Akbari was arrested in September 2023 following the suspicious death of her 82-year-old spouse. According to Al Arabiya, shortly before his death, the man had told relatives that his wife was behaving oddly. After his passing, the deceased man's brother demanded a full investigation and autopsy, which led to Akbari’s detention.

During questioning, Akbari confessed to eleven murders. She told investigators that she would deliberately marry lonely, elderly, and sick — but wealthy — men. Unidentified accomplices allegedly helped her find such partners. Akbari would insist on a dowry or inheritance clause in the marriage agreement, and soon after, her husbands would fall ill and die.

One of her earliest victims was reportedly poisoned with industrial alcohol and then strangled.

After that, Akbari became more cautious. She began crushing pills for hypertension or heart conditions into drinks and slowly increased the dosage. When her husbands' health deteriorated, she would bring them to the hospital and pose as a caring wife. Once they returned home, she would raise the dosage again — ultimately causing their deaths in order to inherit their estates.

Between 2001 and 2023, Akbari had 18 partners and entered into 19 official marriages. All of these men are now deceased, prompting investigators to suspect that her list of victims may go well beyond the eleven she confessed to.