History’s Deadliest Women: The Evil Stepmother

2026-08-21

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In 1909, the third and final woman hanged in Western Australia was executed. She had murdered three of her step children.What drove Martha Rendall to kill these children? Why did others in their neighbourhood stand by and not raise the alarm sooner? And how do our understandings of women who kill factor into the evil stepmother figure factor?This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of...

In 1909, the third and final woman hanged in Western Australia was executed. She had murdered three of her step children.

What drove Martha Rendall to kill these children? Why did others in their neighbourhood stand by and not raise the alarm sooner? And how do our understandings of women who kill factor into the evil stepmother figure factor?

This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.

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