The Murder Factory: A True Crime Tale of Arsenic and Greed
In the quiet Hungarian village of Nagyrév, nestled along the banks of the Tisza River, an unspeakable horror unfolded during the early 20th century. For more than a decade, the village became home to a chilling operation where dozens of people—mostly husbands—were silently murdered by their own wives. Behind it all was a midwife named Zsuzsanna Fazekas, better known to locals as Auntie Suzy. This secret wave of murders would later be dubbed “The Murder Factory”, and it remains one of the most sinister arsenic poisoning cases in European history.
A Village with a Deadly Secret
Nagyrév was a small and isolated farming village in eastern Hungary, with a population of just over a few hundred people during the early 1900s. Life there was hard. Poverty, alcohol abuse, and domestic violence were common. Many women were trapped in loveless or abusive marriages, with few options for escape. Divorce was taboo and largely unavailable, especially in conservative rural communities.
Then came World War I. With the outbreak of the war in 1914, many of the village’s men were sent off to fight. During this time, Nagyrév became a temporary holding site for Allied prisoners of war. Some of these prisoners struck up relationships with local women, offering companionship and romance that their husbands never did. When the war ended and the soldiers returned, the problems began.
Men came home to wives who no longer loved them—or who had grown used to living without them. These men were often harsh, traumatized, or simply unwanted. In this volatile environment, murder became a quiet solution.
Auntie Suzy and the Rise of the Angel Makers
At the center of the deadly conspiracy was Zsuzsanna Fazekas, a midwife and unofficial village nurse. She was trusted, respected, and known for her discretion. But she also had a dark past—she had been convicted several times for performing illegal abortions. Despite this, the villagers still turned to her for help when things went wrong.
Auntie Suzy’s knowledge of medicine and poisons made her a deadly figure. She discovered that arsenic, a common ingredient in flypaper at the time, could be easily extracted by boiling the paper in water. The resulting liquid was clear, tasteless, and lethal in the right doses. What started with a few quiet killings eventually snowballed into a full-blown murder ring.
Women would go to Auntie Suzy with complaints about abusive or alcoholic husbands. Instead of giving emotional support, she offered them a way out: arsenic. Over time, a number of women became involved in what came to be called the Angel Makers of Nagyrév. They believed they were helping each other escape misery and claimed they were sending their husbands to a “better place.”
But it wasn’t just abusive men who were targeted. Elderly parents, unwanted children, and even in-laws were quietly poisoned. In many cases, victims were killed for financial gain—inheritances, land, or insurance policies. The line between “mercy killing” and greed was quickly erased.
The Death Toll and the Cover-Up
For years, the murders went unnoticed. In a small village where illness and sudden death were not uncommon, no one raised an eyebrow when coffins were carried out of homes one after another. The death certificates often listed causes like tuberculosis, pneumonia, or heart failure. Auntie Suzy, trusted as a midwife and caretaker, helped smooth over any suspicions.
It’s estimated that between 40 to over 100 people were murdered over a span of nearly 15 years. No one knows the exact number because many bodies were never exhumed, and the records were incomplete or forged.
Discovery and Arrests
The conspiracy finally unraveled in 1929, when an anonymous tip reached the authorities. Exhumations were ordered, and tests revealed lethal traces of arsenic in the bodies. Panic gripped Nagyrév. Soon, a wave of arrests followed.
A total of 34 women and one man were arrested in connection with the poisonings. Many confessed under questioning, admitting to poisoning husbands, parents, or children. Some claimed they were pressured into it by Auntie Suzy. Others insisted they were helping their loved ones escape suffering. But in many cases, greed and convenience were the true motives.
Zsuzsanna Fazekas was arrested as the mastermind behind the operation. Before she could be tried, she took her own life by poisoning herself—the same method she had encouraged others to use.
The trials of the remaining defendants shocked Hungary and the rest of Europe. The media dubbed Nagyrév “The Murder Village” and painted a lurid portrait of rural women driven to murder by desperation and greed.
Sentencing and Aftermath
Of the accused, eight women were convicted and sentenced to death, though only two of those sentences were ultimately carried out. Others received long prison sentences. Some defendants were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
The village of Nagyrév never fully recovered from the scandal. It became infamous across Hungary and Europe, and the legacy of the Angel Makers left a permanent stain on its history.
In the years that followed, the case inspired books, documentaries, and even fictionalized accounts. It is often cited as an example of how social conditions—such as poverty, domestic violence, and lack of legal recourse—can push ordinary people to commit extraordinary crimes. It also remains one of the most chilling and organized uses of poison in criminal history.
Arsenic and the History of Murder
The case of the Murder Factory is not unique in history—arsenic was long known as the “inheritance powder” and had been used in many historical poisonings. But what set the Angel Makers apart was the sheer scale, the involvement of an entire network of women, and the central role of a trusted midwife who turned murder into a form of therapy—and, in some cases, profit.
Their story remains a disturbing blend of tragedy, betrayal, and horror—a stark reminder of what people are capable of when they feel they have no way out.
Conclusion
The Murder Factory of Nagyrév stands as one of the most unsettling true crime stories ever recorded. It wasn’t the work of a lone madman or serial killer, but a quiet conspiracy born out of desperation, enabled by a trusted figure, and executed with clinical precision. In the end, it reveals the darkest corners of human nature—where love turns to hate, help becomes harm, and poison becomes the answer to life’s miseries.
