Born in 1863 in Morgan, South Australia, Martha Charles grew up in a poor and abusive family and showed signs of instability from an early age.
In 1882, she married Henry Needle and had three children. By 1891, she poisoned all four of her family members, one by one.
She then collected the insurance money, most of which she used for a family grave that she often visited.
A year later, she was hired as a housekeeper by two brothers: Otto and Louis Junken. She began an affair with Otto, but Louis opposed the engagement. He mysteriously fell ill and died a few months later. Otto's second brother, Herman, also fell ill after moving in with the couple.
This time, the autopsy revealed the arsenic Martha was feeding Herman. An investigation began, and the bodies of her husband, children, and Louis body were exhumed.
All but Mabel tested positive for arsenic. Martha professed her innocence in court but was found guilty and sentenced to death. Surprisingly, Otto stuck by her side to the end.
