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Madame De BrinvilliersSeventeenth-century French serial killer
Date of Birth: 02.07.1630
Country:  France |
Content:
Biography of Madame de Brinvilliers
Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise de Brinvilliers (July 22, 1630 – July 17, 1676), was a French serial killer of the seventeenth century. She became infamous for her crimes, which involved the use of the popular poison "Aqua Tofana" of that time. Some unreliable sources even suggested her close acquaintance with the well-known Italian poisoner Exili.
Crimes and Motives
In 1666, with the help of her lover, Captain of the French army Godin de Sainte-Croix, the Marquise poisoned her father Antonine Dreux d'Aubray and her two brothers, Antoine d'Aubray and Francois d'Aubray. Her motive for these murders was purely financial gain. She was eager to receive her inheritance as soon as possible and had no intention of sharing it with anyone. It is possible that these were not the only deaths caused by Marie. There were rumors that she regularly poisoned the poor who resided in local hospitals.
Arrest and Execution
In 1675, Marie attempted to flee from justice but was arrested in Liège. Under torture, she confessed to all her crimes and was sentenced to death. According to archival records, Marie was tortured with water. On July 17, 1676, she was forced to drink 16 pints (7.5 liters) of liquid. Subsequently, she was beheaded, and her body was burned. Her accomplice, Sainte-Croix, died six years later in 1672.
Legacy
The execution of Madame de Brinvilliers marked the beginning of the infamous Affair of the Poisons, during which a number of French aristocrats stood trial. The hunt for poisoners and witches reached unprecedented levels, and the public associated Marie and the other suspects with almost all suspicious deaths in recent years.
The story of Marquise de Brinvilliers has inspired numerous works of literature. Authors such as Arthur Conan Doyle, Alexandre Dumas, Emile Gaboriau, and Robert Browning have written about her. Her arrest and burning at the stake were mentioned in Judith Merkle Riley's "The Oracle Glass," and in John Dickson Carr's "The Burning Court," the ghost of Marie Brinvilliers was one of the main suspects.
