black widows

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Judge Throws Out Conviction in Millionaire's 1994 Death

Nevada prosecutors could appeal or attempt to retry Margaret Rudin

(Newser) - Update: After being found guilty in a sensational trial and spending almost 20 years in prison for the death of her husband, Margaret Rudin is no longer a killer in the eyes of the law. A federal judge has thrown out her 2001 conviction, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports, finding...

Japan's 'Black Widow' Sentenced to Death

Judge says Chisako Kakehi was 'driven by greed'

(Newser) - Her murderous web won't protect Japan's "black widow," who's been sentenced to hang after a months-long trial. Judge Ayako Nakagawa of Kyoto District Court ruled Tuesday that Chisako Kakehi, 70, will hang for the murders of two common-law boyfriends and a husband, as well as...

'Black Widow' Makes Stunning Claim in Murder Trial

'I killed my husband,' Chisako Kakehi tells court

(Newser) - When Chisako Kakehi took the stand during her murder trial Monday, she vowed to remain silent. But that's not what happened. In what the New York Times calls a "cinematic turn," the so-called black widow of Japan admitted to killing her fourth husband, one of at least...

What Makes Black Widows So Deadly


 What Makes 
 Black Widows 
 So Deadly 
study says

What Makes Black Widows So Deadly

They evolved quickly with same venom compounds as house spiders

(Newser) - Black widow spiders are known for their lethal venom, but just how did they get so deadly? Apparently by evolving quickly over the years during their pursuit of "ever-bigger prey," Discovery reports. According to a new study, black widows and house spiders have comparable toxic compounds in their...

Japan Busts 'Black Widow' With 7 Dead Lovers

Chisako Kakehi charged after cyanide found in husband No. 4

(Newser) - If everybody supposedly has one thing they're really great at, well, Japanese police say that a 67-year-old woman is criminally great at being a widow. It seems that no fewer than seven of Chisako Kakehi's husbands and lovers have met untimely ends, reports the AFP , and police on...

Russia Hunting 'Black Widow' Terrorists Targeting Sochi

Wanted posters already up for one woman

(Newser) - Russian authorities believe that as many as four women intend to launch terror attacks targeting the Sochi Olympics, and that one might already be in or near the city, sources tell NBC News . Wanted posters are already up in Sochi for Ruzan Ibragimova, aka Ruzana, a 23-year-old woman described as...

Look Out Black Widow, Here Comes Brown Widow

Less toxic rivals may be taking over in West

(Newser) - Good news: You may now be slightly less likely to find a black widow spider hiding in your shoe. Researchers discovered that the deadly arachnid is being crowded out of swaths of its native US territory by a new creepy crawler to the scene—the brown widow, reports LiveScience . The...

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