Lainz Angel Of Death

The Title

"Lainz Angels of Death"

Classification: Serial killers

Characteristics: 'Death Angel' - Nurse - Poisoner

Number of victims: more than fifteen 

Date of Killing: 1983 - 1989

Date of arrest: April 7, 1989

Date of birth: 1960

Victim profile: Men and women (patients)

Method of murder: Poisoning (morphine overdose)

Location: Vienna, Austria

Status: Convicted of 15 killings, 17 attempts, and 2 charges of assault. Convicted to life in prison in March 1991. Released from prison in August 2008

Maria Gruber, Irene Leidolf, Stephanija Meyer, and Waltraud Wagner (Born 1960) made up one of the rarest killing squads in the 20th Century in Europe. The four Austrian women were nurses serving at Lainz General Hospital in Vienna, and together killed scores of victims.

Wagner, 23-years-old, was the first to murder a patient with an overdose of morphine in 1983. She found in the method that she enjoyed playing God and snatching the strength of life and death in her hands. She recruited 19-year-old Gruber, and 21-years-old Leidolf, and finally the "house mother" of the group, 43-year-old Stephanija Meyer.

Still, the lethal injection didn't give enough feeling, and shortly the self-styled "death pavilion" had developed their killing method: while one held the victim's head and crushed their nose, another would drop water into the victim's mouth until they perished in their bed. Since senior patients often had fluid in their lungs, it was an unprovable murder.

They were arrested after they were overheard bragging about their latest killing at a local hotel. In total, they admitted to 49 killings over six years but may have been responsible for as many as 200.

Wagner was convicted of 15 killings, 17 attempts, and two counts of attack. She was convicted to life in jail. Leidolf got life as well, on conviction of five killings, while the other two drew fifteen years for killing and attempted killing charges.

In 2008, they all were released from jail because of good behavior. There is no death penalty in Austria. That is why the killers are easily released.