German ‘Black Widow’ murderer jailed for life

German 'Black Widow' murderer jailed for life
The 'Black Widow,' Lydia L., in the court room. Photo: DPA
After a four and a half month trial, the woman known to Germany as the "Black Widow" was handed a life sentence for her role in the murder of four elderly men on Thursday.

The district court in Göttingen found the 69-year-old former prostitute Lydia L. guilty of persuading her accomplice, 53-year-old Siggi S., to kill the four men to take their money between 1994 and 2000.

Siggi S. received a 12-year sentence for three murders and one case of manslaughter. He was spared a life sentence because the judge said he was learning disabled and psychologically dependent on Lydia L.

The “Black Widow” found each man in dating ads and made them believe she was planning a future with them. Instead she drugged them with pills and had Siggi S. stab them and dispose of the bodies. She married one of the victims and had continued receiving a widow’s pension throughout the trial.

Lydia L. maintained that she was innocent throughout the trial, and her lawyer insisted that she was unaware of Siggi S.’s actions.