Leonarda Cianciulli — A Serial Killer Who Turned Her Victims Into Cakes And Soap
This heartless serial killer ate her victims after turning them into teacakes. Here’s the full story…
Leonarda Cianciulli was born in 1893 and died in 1970. She is widely regarded as the Soap-Maker of Correggio. In case you don’t know her, let me tell you that she killed three women in Reggio Emilia. These incidents happened from 1939 to 1940, and the worst part is that she turned their dead bodies into cakes and soap.
What Led Leonarda Cianciulli To Commit Such A Crime?
Leonarda Cianciulli was basically born to a narrow-minded couple. She used to live in silence and attempted suicide at a young age. In 1917, she tied the knot with Raffaele Pansardi, and her parents did not accept the groom. They wanted her to marry someone else. When Leonarda Cianciulli refused to listen to them, they began cursing and torturing her.
In 1921, Leonarda Cianciulli moved to Potenza with her husband, where she was sentenced because of fraud. After her release, the husband brought Leonarda Cianciulli to Avellino. In 1930, an earthquake destroyed their house and they then moved to Reggio Emilia.
It is said that Leonarda Cianciulli got pregnant seventeen times, but three of her children were lost due to miscarriage. Ten kids died in their youth. Gradually, Leonarda Cianciulli became a highly protective woman. She thought that she was losing her kids because of the curse of her parents. Her fear was fueled by a warning she received from a fortune teller. The person urged Leonarda Cianciulli to kill females in order to save the life of her son. This is when she became a serial killer.
The Names Of Her Victims
Faustina Setti was the first victim. She had come to Leonarda Cianciulli to find her lost husband. The second victim was Francesca Soavi, who came to this ill-minded woman to find a job. Virginia Cacioppo was the third victim, who had visited Leonarda Cianciulli to find work as a secretary in Florence.
All of these ladies got killed, and Leonarda Cianciulli had cut their bodies into small pieces. These pieces were then placed into a pot. She added some caustic soda in it and made soap out of their flesh. Their blood was then mixed with milk, sugar, eggs, chocolate, flour, and other ingredients. She made teacakes out of their blood and ate them all along with her companions.
When Was She Caught?
Leonarda Cianciulli was caught when the sister of Virginia Cacioppo noticed that her sister had disappeared. Police were called and Leonarda Cianciulli’s house was checked thoroughly. She was soon arrested for murdering three innocent ladies. She was found guilty of these crimes, but there is nothing that could be done. The court then ordered to sentence Leonarda Cianciulli for thirty years in prison. It was also said that she would be sent to the criminal asylum for three years.
In October 1970, Leonarda Cianciulli died of cerebral apoplexy while in the asylum. Some of the artifacts, including the pot in which she used to boil her victims, have now been placed at Rome’s Criminological Museum.
