Serial Killer. She was a Polish-American female serial killer that was active in Chicago in the early 1900s and was known to have visions or dreams of people's deaths before they happened.
Tillie was born in Poland as Otylia Gburek, the first child to Michal Gburek and Michalina. She immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 4 years old. They settled in the "Little Poland" neighborhood in Chicago.
Tillie's first husband, Josef Mitkiewicz died in 1914 from heart trouble according to the coroner. They had married in 1895 and were known as a happy couple, with Tillie becoming popular for her cooking and psychic ability to predict deaths. She began telling neighbors that she was having dreams of her husband Joe passing away, and weeks later those predictions came true.
A month after Mitkiewicz's death she married her second husband who was named Joseph Ruskowski. Despite being described as the "picture of health," he too began a rapid decline, dying months after the nuptials.
In between her second and third husband, she gained a suitor, Mr. Josef Guszkowski. After enjoying some of Tillie's candy, he and his sister became ill and he later died. She also had a male roommate who was only known by the name "Meyers" go missing from their residence.
Her third husband was Frank Kupczyk, and this was the first death that would later be investigated as a crime. He became ill in their apartment. She was overheard telling neighbors of the impending death making statements that Frank would not live long, and telling Frank directly of his impending death. She also asked neighbors to store a recently acquired casket that was on sale. As his health grew worse, she convinced him to take out a life insurance policy.
After Frank's death, Tillie remarried once again to many people's dismay. This time, to Mr. Joseph Klimek. This time when Joseph became ill he called his doctor, and they suspected something wasn't quite right. Klimek's doctor ordered him straight to the hospital. Their suspicions were correct when the tests later confirmed arsenic poisoning and a warrant was put out for Tillie's arrest. He recalled to the doctor how their dog had died after eating some of their food scraps and that some of Tillie's cooking had a strange taste to it.
After the poisoning of Joseph, the prior husbands' bodies were exhumed and tested. They were all found to have deadly levels of arsenic.
Through investigation, the police also arrested Tillie's cousin, Nellie Koulik. Koulik was thought to be privy to information about the murders of Tillie's husbands and helped supply the arsenic that killed the men. Further investigation revealed multiple family members, neighbors as well as neighborhood pets had become ill after ingesting candy given to them by the women.
In total, is it thought that Klimek's victims included 20 people, 14 of whom died. Tillie's twin children, Sophie and Ben Sturmer, and her own granddaughter, Dorothy, all died of poisoning in 1917. Her son John and daughter-in-law Lillian survived the poisoning.
Luckily, Joseph Klimek lived too. He spent many months recovering in the hospital. It was later revealed that Tillie took out life insurance policies on all of her husbands and that she gained a substantial amount after each death.
In March 1923, Tillie Klimek was found guilty of the murder of her third husband, Frank Kupczyk. Newspapers at the time reported that unlike other women charged with similar crimes, Tillie was punished more harshly, actually receiving the harshest sentence ever given in Cook County to a woman at that time, likely due to her "unfavorable" physical appearance. Her cousin Nellie was acquitted after spending nearly a year in jail, while Klimek supposedly mocked her from inside the jail. Tillie confessed to the murder while in custody and later again at her trial. She showed no emotion to the questions posed and when she was sentenced to life behind bars she was said to only remark, "It was hot in there," to the guards leading her back to prison.
Tillie died November 20, 1936, at Joliet Correctional Center at about age 60.
Tillie was born in Poland as Otylia Gburek, the first child to Michal Gburek and Michalina. She immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 4 years old. They settled in the "Little Poland" neighborhood in Chicago.
Tillie's first husband, Josef Mitkiewicz died in 1914 from heart trouble according to the coroner. They had married in 1895 and were known as a happy couple, with Tillie becoming popular for her cooking and psychic ability to predict deaths. She began telling neighbors that she was having dreams of her husband Joe passing away, and weeks later those predictions came true.
A month after Mitkiewicz's death she married her second husband who was named Joseph Ruskowski. Despite being described as the "picture of health," he too began a rapid decline, dying months after the nuptials.
In between her second and third husband, she gained a suitor, Mr. Josef Guszkowski. After enjoying some of Tillie's candy, he and his sister became ill and he later died. She also had a male roommate who was only known by the name "Meyers" go missing from their residence.
Her third husband was Frank Kupczyk, and this was the first death that would later be investigated as a crime. He became ill in their apartment. She was overheard telling neighbors of the impending death making statements that Frank would not live long, and telling Frank directly of his impending death. She also asked neighbors to store a recently acquired casket that was on sale. As his health grew worse, she convinced him to take out a life insurance policy.
After Frank's death, Tillie remarried once again to many people's dismay. This time, to Mr. Joseph Klimek. This time when Joseph became ill he called his doctor, and they suspected something wasn't quite right. Klimek's doctor ordered him straight to the hospital. Their suspicions were correct when the tests later confirmed arsenic poisoning and a warrant was put out for Tillie's arrest. He recalled to the doctor how their dog had died after eating some of their food scraps and that some of Tillie's cooking had a strange taste to it.
After the poisoning of Joseph, the prior husbands' bodies were exhumed and tested. They were all found to have deadly levels of arsenic.
Through investigation, the police also arrested Tillie's cousin, Nellie Koulik. Koulik was thought to be privy to information about the murders of Tillie's husbands and helped supply the arsenic that killed the men. Further investigation revealed multiple family members, neighbors as well as neighborhood pets had become ill after ingesting candy given to them by the women.
In total, is it thought that Klimek's victims included 20 people, 14 of whom died. Tillie's twin children, Sophie and Ben Sturmer, and her own granddaughter, Dorothy, all died of poisoning in 1917. Her son John and daughter-in-law Lillian survived the poisoning.
Luckily, Joseph Klimek lived too. He spent many months recovering in the hospital. It was later revealed that Tillie took out life insurance policies on all of her husbands and that she gained a substantial amount after each death.
In March 1923, Tillie Klimek was found guilty of the murder of her third husband, Frank Kupczyk. Newspapers at the time reported that unlike other women charged with similar crimes, Tillie was punished more harshly, actually receiving the harshest sentence ever given in Cook County to a woman at that time, likely due to her "unfavorable" physical appearance. Her cousin Nellie was acquitted after spending nearly a year in jail, while Klimek supposedly mocked her from inside the jail. Tillie confessed to the murder while in custody and later again at her trial. She showed no emotion to the questions posed and when she was sentenced to life behind bars she was said to only remark, "It was hot in there," to the guards leading her back to prison.
Tillie died November 20, 1936, at Joliet Correctional Center at about age 60.
Serial Killer. She was a Polish-American female serial killer that was active in Chicago in the early 1900s and was known to have visions or dreams of people's deaths before they happened.
Tillie was born in Poland as Otylia Gburek, the first child to Michal Gburek and Michalina. She immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 4 years old. They settled in the "Little Poland" neighborhood in Chicago.
Tillie's first husband, Josef Mitkiewicz died in 1914 from heart trouble according to the coroner. They had married in 1895 and were known as a happy couple, with Tillie becoming popular for her cooking and psychic ability to predict deaths. She began telling neighbors that she was having dreams of her husband Joe passing away, and weeks later those predictions came true.
A month after Mitkiewicz's death she married her second husband who was named Joseph Ruskowski. Despite being described as the "picture of health," he too began a rapid decline, dying months after the nuptials.
In between her second and third husband, she gained a suitor, Mr. Josef Guszkowski. After enjoying some of Tillie's candy, he and his sister became ill and he later died. She also had a male roommate who was only known by the name "Meyers" go missing from their residence.
Her third husband was Frank Kupczyk, and this was the first death that would later be investigated as a crime. He became ill in their apartment. She was overheard telling neighbors of the impending death making statements that Frank would not live long, and telling Frank directly of his impending death. She also asked neighbors to store a recently acquired casket that was on sale. As his health grew worse, she convinced him to take out a life insurance policy.
After Frank's death, Tillie remarried once again to many people's dismay. This time, to Mr. Joseph Klimek. This time when Joseph became ill he called his doctor, and they suspected something wasn't quite right. Klimek's doctor ordered him straight to the hospital. Their suspicions were correct when the tests later confirmed arsenic poisoning and a warrant was put out for Tillie's arrest. He recalled to the doctor how their dog had died after eating some of their food scraps and that some of Tillie's cooking had a strange taste to it.
After the poisoning of Joseph, the prior husbands' bodies were exhumed and tested. They were all found to have deadly levels of arsenic.
Through investigation, the police also arrested Tillie's cousin, Nellie Koulik. Koulik was thought to be privy to information about the murders of Tillie's husbands and helped supply the arsenic that killed the men. Further investigation revealed multiple family members, neighbors as well as neighborhood pets had become ill after ingesting candy given to them by the women.
In total, is it thought that Klimek's victims included 20 people, 14 of whom died. Tillie's twin children, Sophie and Ben Sturmer, and her own granddaughter, Dorothy, all died of poisoning in 1917. Her son John and daughter-in-law Lillian survived the poisoning.
Luckily, Joseph Klimek lived too. He spent many months recovering in the hospital. It was later revealed that Tillie took out life insurance policies on all of her husbands and that she gained a substantial amount after each death.
In March 1923, Tillie Klimek was found guilty of the murder of her third husband, Frank Kupczyk. Newspapers at the time reported that unlike other women charged with similar crimes, Tillie was punished more harshly, actually receiving the harshest sentence ever given in Cook County to a woman at that time, likely due to her "unfavorable" physical appearance. Her cousin Nellie was acquitted after spending nearly a year in jail, while Klimek supposedly mocked her from inside the jail. Tillie confessed to the murder while in custody and later again at her trial. She showed no emotion to the questions posed and when she was sentenced to life behind bars she was said to only remark, "It was hot in there," to the guards leading her back to prison.
Tillie died November 20, 1936, at Joliet Correctional Center at about age 60.
Tillie was born in Poland as Otylia Gburek, the first child to Michal Gburek and Michalina. She immigrated to the United States with her parents when she was 4 years old. They settled in the "Little Poland" neighborhood in Chicago.
Tillie's first husband, Josef Mitkiewicz died in 1914 from heart trouble according to the coroner. They had married in 1895 and were known as a happy couple, with Tillie becoming popular for her cooking and psychic ability to predict deaths. She began telling neighbors that she was having dreams of her husband Joe passing away, and weeks later those predictions came true.
A month after Mitkiewicz's death she married her second husband who was named Joseph Ruskowski. Despite being described as the "picture of health," he too began a rapid decline, dying months after the nuptials.
In between her second and third husband, she gained a suitor, Mr. Josef Guszkowski. After enjoying some of Tillie's candy, he and his sister became ill and he later died. She also had a male roommate who was only known by the name "Meyers" go missing from their residence.
Her third husband was Frank Kupczyk, and this was the first death that would later be investigated as a crime. He became ill in their apartment. She was overheard telling neighbors of the impending death making statements that Frank would not live long, and telling Frank directly of his impending death. She also asked neighbors to store a recently acquired casket that was on sale. As his health grew worse, she convinced him to take out a life insurance policy.
After Frank's death, Tillie remarried once again to many people's dismay. This time, to Mr. Joseph Klimek. This time when Joseph became ill he called his doctor, and they suspected something wasn't quite right. Klimek's doctor ordered him straight to the hospital. Their suspicions were correct when the tests later confirmed arsenic poisoning and a warrant was put out for Tillie's arrest. He recalled to the doctor how their dog had died after eating some of their food scraps and that some of Tillie's cooking had a strange taste to it.
After the poisoning of Joseph, the prior husbands' bodies were exhumed and tested. They were all found to have deadly levels of arsenic.
Through investigation, the police also arrested Tillie's cousin, Nellie Koulik. Koulik was thought to be privy to information about the murders of Tillie's husbands and helped supply the arsenic that killed the men. Further investigation revealed multiple family members, neighbors as well as neighborhood pets had become ill after ingesting candy given to them by the women.
In total, is it thought that Klimek's victims included 20 people, 14 of whom died. Tillie's twin children, Sophie and Ben Sturmer, and her own granddaughter, Dorothy, all died of poisoning in 1917. Her son John and daughter-in-law Lillian survived the poisoning.
Luckily, Joseph Klimek lived too. He spent many months recovering in the hospital. It was later revealed that Tillie took out life insurance policies on all of her husbands and that she gained a substantial amount after each death.
In March 1923, Tillie Klimek was found guilty of the murder of her third husband, Frank Kupczyk. Newspapers at the time reported that unlike other women charged with similar crimes, Tillie was punished more harshly, actually receiving the harshest sentence ever given in Cook County to a woman at that time, likely due to her "unfavorable" physical appearance. Her cousin Nellie was acquitted after spending nearly a year in jail, while Klimek supposedly mocked her from inside the jail. Tillie confessed to the murder while in custody and later again at her trial. She showed no emotion to the questions posed and when she was sentenced to life behind bars she was said to only remark, "It was hot in there," to the guards leading her back to prison.
Tillie died November 20, 1936, at Joliet Correctional Center at about age 60.
Bio by: Lacey K.
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