Strychnine Poisoning - Notable Strychnine Poisonings

Notable Strychnine Poisonings

The most notable incidents which probably involved strychnine poisoning, are listed here.

• Alexander the Great may have been poisoned by strychnine in contaminated wine in 323 BC.
• Margot Begeman, a childhood friend of Vincent van Gogh, attempted suicide by ingesting strychnine in 1884.
• In the late 19th century, serial killer Thomas Neill Cream used strychnine to murder several prostitutes on the streets of London.
• Belle Gunness of La Porte, Indiana, also known as "Lady Bluebeard", allegedly used strychnine to murder some of her victims at the turn of the 20th century.
• Jane Stanford, co-founder of Stanford University and wife of California governor Leland Stanford, may have died from strychnine poisoning in 1905.
• In 1938, Delta Blues legend Robert Johnson died after drinking a bottle of whiskey which was allegedly laced with strychnine. This account of Johnson's death is disputed, as he died several days after the alleged poisoning.
• Oskar Dirlewanger, the notorious leader of the SS Sturmbrigade Dirlewanger in the Second World War, was known to have murdered several Jewish women by stripping them naked and having them injected with strychnine. He and his officers then watched them convulse until death, just for their entertainment.
• A woman in San Diego, California, was poisoned with strychnine by her husband in 1990. Though he dialed 911, he did not mention his name or address, and rescue workers had difficulty locating the victim. Persistence on the part of the dispatcher and the rescue workers allowed them to locate and extract the victim, but she eventually died in the hospital.
• In 2008, Hannes Hirtzberger, the Mayor of Spitz in Lower Austria was reported to have been poisoned by local wine producer Helmut Osberger, using strychnine. Hirtzberger barely survived and suffered permanent disability.
• Turgut Özal, 8th President of the Republic of Turkey is said to have been assassinated by strychnine poisoning. The Turkish Presidency has commissioned a Special Investigation into the former President's death.