Guy Lochhead, 11/09/10
Russian noblewoman who became notorious for torturing and killing over 100 of her serfs, mostly women and girls. Saltykova married young and was widowed by the age of 26. She inherited her husband’s estate, where she lived with her two young sons. Early complaints to authorities about the deaths at the Saltykova estate were ignored, or resulted in punishment to the complainants, because Saltykova was well connected with the royal court. Eventually, a petition was brought before Empress Catherine II and, after a painful six year investigation (1762-1768), she was publicly humiliated and then imprisoned for life. Horrendous. Obviously won’t be included.