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In the rare instance where a prolific serial killer is a woman, we are often met with a case that is so callous that imagining what went on in that killer’s head seems an impossible task. Female killers are often fuelled by spite, greed, and jealousy. Some crimes, however, see a murderess succeed only by opportunity, and those of a notorious Danish killer are no exception.

Dagmar Overbye was a 18th century serial killer who preyed on children. Over seven years, she slaughtered between 9 and 25 children, including her own child. Working as a professional babysitter, Overbye would strangle or drown the children in her care. On more than one occasion, she locked her victims in a masonry heater and cooked them to death. The corpses were either cremated, buried or hidden in the loft. 

Overbye was convicted of 9 murders, as there were no proof of the others. However 9 murders was plenty to earn her a death sentence. She never fell victim to the notorious noose, and instead died of natural causes aged 46 in 1929. After her death, the Danish government enforced much stricter rules for those applying for a job in childcare.