About this episode

This episode explores the life and crimes of Anna Marie Hahn, a German immigrant and serial killer in 1930s Cincinnati.

Anna Marie Hahn was a German immigrant living in Cincinnati in the 1930s. She cooked for people, spent time with them, and became part of their daily lives. And over time, the men she grew close to began to die. Source Material Franklin, Diana Britt. The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of America’s First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Electric Chair. Kent State University Press, 2006. Hunt, Amber. “Queen City Crime: How serial killer Anna Hahn rocked Cincinnati, made Ohio history.” The Cincinnati Enquirer , February 6, 2024. Contemporary newspaper coverage, including: The Cincinnati Enquirer (1937–1938) The Cincinnati Post (1937) The Pittsburgh Press (execution coverage, 1938) Telfer, Tori. Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History. HarperCollins, 2017. Vronsky, Peter. Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters. Berkley Books, 2007. Queen, Chelsea. “Anna Marie Hahn: The Deadly ‘Arsenic Widow.’” Medium , 2024

People in this episode

Host: Lizzie

Topics covered

• serial killer
• poisoning
• Cincinnati history
• female criminals
• true crime

Keywords

• Anna Marie Hahn
• Cincinnati poisonings
• female serial killer
• true crime
• arsenic

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, The Pittsburgh Press

Books & works: The Good-bye Door: The Incredible True Story of America’s First Female Serial Killer to Die in the Electric Chair, Lady Killers: Deadly Women Throughout History, Female Serial Killers: How and Why Women Become Monsters

Places: Cincinnati

More episodes of Historical True Crime

• Tom Horn: Murder on the Wyoming Frontier · May 29, 2026 · 30 min
• The Birdman of Alcatraz: Myth vs Reality · May 22, 2026 · 24 min
• The Princes in the Tower: England’s Most Famous Royal Disappearance · May 12, 2026 · 21 min
• The Cleveland Street Scandal: Telegraph Boys, a London Brothel, and Aristocratic Clients · April 10, 2026 · 20 min
• The Murder of Emanuele Notarbartolo (1893) — Sicily’s First Mafia Case · March 27, 2026 · 17 min
• The Ratcliffe Highway Murders: Terror in London’s East End · March 19, 2026 · 23 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Historical True Crime podcast page.