Ottilie Klimek

Serial Killer

Ottilie "Tillie" Klimek: The Serial Killer of Chicago

Introduction

Ottilie "Tillie" Klimek, born Otylia Gburek in 1876 in Poland, was a Polish-American serial killer active in Chicago, Illinois. She was infamous for her methodical poisoning of her victims, often using arsenic, and her eerie claims of predicting their deaths. Klimek's crimes spanned from 1914 to 1921, and she was eventually convicted of murder, earning her a life sentence.

Crimes and Victims

Klimek's crimes were characterized by her use of arsenic to poison her victims, often close family members or acquaintances. Below is a list of her known victims:

• Jozef Mitkiewicz (1914): Klimek's first husband, who died after a short illness. His death was initially attributed to heart trouble.
• Joseph Ruskowski: Her second husband, who also died shortly after their marriage under suspicious circumstances.
• Frank Kupczyk: Klimek's third husband, who fell ill in their apartment at 924 N. Winchester. She openly mocked him, predicting his death, and even prepared for his funeral before he passed away in 1921.
• Joseph Klimek: Her fourth husband, who became gravely ill but survived after doctors suspected arsenic poisoning and intervened.

Investigation and Arrest

Klimek's arrest came after the suspicious illness of her fourth husband, Joseph Klimek. Upon investigation, the bodies of her previous husbands were exhumed and found to contain lethal doses of arsenic. Klimek's cousin, Nellie Koulik, was also implicated in the crimes, as she allegedly provided Klimek with the poison. ...Read More

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Jozef Mitkiewicz , Date of Death: 1914

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Tillie Klimek - Wikipedia

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