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- Faces death penalty
A 56-year-old serial wife, Kulthum Akbari, has confessed to killing 11 elderly husbands over 22 years, targeting elderly men, and marrying them before killing them to inherit their wealth.
Reports reviewed by Oracle Intelligence showed that the woman had devised careful means of nursing her late husbands to death and make their demise seem from natural causes. Her tactics allowed her to embark on serial husband killing across years without detection as most of her victims appeared to have died of natural causes.
Prosecutors in Iran describe Kulthum’s killings as a calculated and methodical campaign for financial gain.
The case has earned her the grim nickname of Iran’s “Black Widow” and sparked nationwide outrage.
According to court documents, Akbari’s alleged killing spree began in 2000 and continued until 2023, according to report by Gulf News.
Investigators say she targeted elderly men, married them, and slowly poisoned them with a mixture of diabetes medications, stimulants, and, in some cases, industrial alcohol.
“The defendant was skilled at covering her tracks,” prosecutors told the court. “Most of the victims appeared to have died of natural causes due to their age and chronic illnesses, allowing her to continue for decades without raising suspicion.”
Her final alleged victim, 2023’s Azizollah Babaei, died under circumstances that initially seemed natural.
But suspicions raised by Babaei’s son triggered a police investigation, ultimately leading to Akbari’s arrest.
During court proceedings, prosecutors revealed that Akbari meticulously monitored her victims’ health, waiting for the precise moment to strike to avoid detection.
She has also been charged with one count of attempted murder after an alleged failed poisoning.
The case has drawn more than 45 plaintiffs, including the families of several victims. Relatives of the four men killed have publicly called for Akbari to face the death penalty.
Akbari currently faces 11 charges of premeditated murder and one of attempted murder.
A verdict is expected once the remaining hearings conclude, in a trial that has captured the attention of both Iranian and international media.
