Tillie Klimek: Mrs. Bluebeard of Chicago

Episode of Morbid · April 9, 2026 · 50 min

Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart recount the arsenic murders, sensational 1923 trial, and conviction of Chicago's Tillie Klimek.

Summary

On this episode of Morbid, hosts Ash Kelley and Alaina Urquhart covered Tillie Klimek, the Polish-born Chicago woman dubbed "Mrs. Bluebeard" by the 1920s press. Kelley narrated Klimek's arrival in the United States as a small child, her upbringing in Chicago's Little Poland, and her marriages, beginning with her 1890 wedding at age 14 and her first husband's 1914 death, which a coroner attributed to heart trouble. Kelley described a rapid succession of husbands and insurance payouts, an alleged confession to a Milwaukee boyfriend that she had poisoned her first two husbands, and Klimek's open and callous behavior around the 1921 illness and death of her third husband, Frank Kupchick, including shopping for a coffin before his death and playing dance music at his funeral.

The hosts then traced the investigation: after Klimek married Joseph Klimek, he developed shooting pains, paralysis and garlic-smelling breath, and two family dogs died after eating from his plate. Kelley recounted that his brother insisted on a second opinion from Dr. P.T. Burns, who recognized arsenic poisoning, and that chemist Dr. William McNally found arsenic in medications that should not have contained it. Klimek was arrested in October 1922; a bottle of rat poison labeled "Rough on Rats" was found in the apartment, and she confessed to poisoning her husband because he was allegedly involved with other women. Exhumations revealed arsenic in the remains of prior husbands, and her cousin Nellie Koulik was arrested as a suspected accomplice, with newspapers dubbing the wider group the "Bluebeard clique" and eventually speculating about roughly 20 victims.

Kelley described the March 1923 trial, where prosecutor William McLaughlin alleged a "wholesale poison plot" and "poison parties" and sought the death penalty. Witnesses included doctors, nurses, insurance agents, gravediggers and neighbors; nurse Mildred Scully testified that Klimek joked about hitting her ailing husband with a two-by-four. Klimek testified through a translator, denying the killings and saying her husbands simply died. The jury convicted her after about an hour and recommended life in prison rather than execution. Koulik was acquitted in November 1923, and Klimek died of heart disease at Dwight prison in 1936 at 64. Both hosts criticized the press's descriptions of Klimek's appearance and noted contemporary speculation that her looks contributed to her conviction. Urquhart closed with a listener-supplied fact that orcas are documented predators of moose in coastal Alaska and Canada, followed by banter about the plural of "moose."

Chapters

0:00
Hump day banter and live show plug
The hosts joke about the origins of a "hump day" camel commercial and promote their Radio City Music Hall show and exclusive merch.
2:23
Introducing Tillie Klimek
Kelley introduces Klimek as "Mrs. Bluebeard of Chicago," describes her birth in Poland, immigration, upbringing in Little Poland, and first marriage and its end in 1914.
7:02
Quick remarriages and a Milwaukee confession
Kelley recounts Klimek's second marriage and inheritance, a trip to Milwaukee where she told a boyfriend she had poisoned her husbands, and his sudden death.
9:27
Frank Kupchick's illness, death and funeral
Kelley describes Klimek's third marriage, the visits from a man named John, her jokes about Frank's coming death, the $30 coffin, and her behavior at his funeral.
14:37
Marriage to Joseph Klimek and insurance demands
Klimek courted Joseph Klimek at Frank's funeral, married him weeks later, and pressed him to increase his life insurance while predicting his death.
18:58
Arsenic poisoning discovered
Joseph's paralysis, garlic breath and the deaths of two dogs led Dr. P.T. Burns and chemist Dr. William McNally to identify arsenic in his medications.
22:24
Arrest, confession and exhumations
Police arrested Klimek and her son, found rat poison in the apartment, obtained her confession, and exhumed husbands whose remains contained large amounts of arsenic.
26:09
Nellie Koulik and the 'Bluebeard clique'
Klimek's cousin Nellie Koulik was arrested, additional relatives and neighbors were named as possible victims, and the press sensationalized the growing case.
35:44
The 1923 trial
Prosecutor McLaughlin alleged a wholesale poison plot and poison parties as doctors, nurses and neighbors testified, and Klimek took the stand through a translator.
41:57
Verdict, appeals talk and death in prison
Klimek was convicted after about an hour and sentenced to life, Koulik was acquitted, and Klimek died at Dwight prison in 1936.
45:54
Fun fact: orcas and moose
Urquhart shares a listener fact that orcas prey on moose, sparking banter about "marine beef" and the plural of moose.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

Ash Kelley
Kelley says Klimek remarried only one month after her first husband's death and that the second husband died within three months.
“in February of 1914, just one month after Joseph's death, Tilly married Joseph Ruszkowski. But that marriage proved to be very short-lived”
Listen from 5:59 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley recounts that Klimek told a Milwaukee boyfriend she had poisoned her first two husbands after he laughed off her marriage proposal.
“contrary to popular belief, my previous two husbands didn't die of natural causes. I fucking poisoned them. So don't mess with me”
Listen from 7:35 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Klimek tried to silence the boyfriend by threatening to accuse him of violating the Mann Act.
“Tilly threatened to report him to the authorities for violating the Mann Act”
Listen from 8:07 · Mann Act
Ash Kelley
Kelley describes landlady Martha Weselek's trial testimony that Klimek publicly shopped for a cheap coffin while Frank was still alive.
“came out in the yard with a piece of newspaper all about a fine coffin for $30 that she was going to get for Frank”
Listen from 10:42 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley recounts a mourner's account that Klimek grabbed her dead husband's ear at his funeral and shouted at the corpse.
“tilly reached into the coffin and grabbed frank's ear shouting you devil you won't get up anymore”
Listen from 12:42 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Joseph Klimek later explained he married Tillie because she kept a good home.
“He later said that he married her for a nice home because she was a good cook and kept a clean space”
Listen from 16:12 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Klimek pressed her husband to raise his life insurance and name her beneficiary, claiming a psychic premonition of his death.
“And she said it was also important because she was in fact psychic, like the townspeople had said. And she'd had a premonition that Joseph was going to die soon”
Listen from 17:39 · Life insurance fraud
Ash Kelley
Kelley describes Joseph Klimek's symptoms, including paralysis and garlic-smelling breath, and the deaths of two dogs that ate from his plate.
“His breath also started to smell strongly of garlic, even though he wasn't eating very garlicky foods”
Listen from 19:16 · Arsenic poisoning
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Dr. P.T. Burns immediately recognized Joseph's condition as arsenic poisoning after his brother demanded a second opinion.
“Burns took one look at Joseph and immediately, like Elena, recognized the telltale signs of arsenic poisoning”
Listen from 20:35 · Arsenic poisoning
Ash Kelley
Kelley says chemist Dr. William McNally found arsenic in every one of Joseph's prescribed medications, indicating deliberate poisoning.
“who tested each individual medication and confirmed that all of them showed evidence of arsenic”
Listen from 21:50 · Exhumation and forensic toxicology
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Klimek confessed to poisoning her husband because she believed he was seeing other women.
“she broke down and confessed that she tried to poison Joseph because he was, quote, fooling around with other women”
Listen from 25:58 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley reports that an exhumed husband's remains still contained enough arsenic to kill four men.
“his remains still contained arsenic enough to kill four men”
Listen from 26:35 · Exhumation and forensic toxicology
Linked moment · 32:10Skip to 32:10 using a listen link in the info box.
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart says the show plans to cover Belle Gunness eventually because the case is widely known and frequently requested.
“we will cover that I think eventually because a lot of people know about that case and it is highly requested”
Listen from 32:10 · Belle Gunness
Ash Kelley
Kelley expresses dislike of accused killers giving jailhouse interviews and becoming celebrities during investigations and trials.
“I know. I hate that part of murder investigations and trials and everything”
Listen from 32:34 · Sensationalist press coverage of crime
Ash Kelley
Kelley says the suspected victim count grew to 20 people by mid-November 1922 as the press covered every sensational detail.
“By mid-November, the suspected number of victims had risen to 20 people, and that was just as they were indicted by a grand jury”
Listen from 33:11 · Sensationalist press coverage of crime
Ash Kelley
Kelley summarizes prosecutor William McLaughlin's opening statement alleging a wholesale poison plot involving at least six deaths.
“the two women had planned and carried out a wholesale poison plot, which claimed at least six lives and caused serious illness to nearly a score more”
Listen from 36:27 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley relays nurse Mildred Scully's testimony that Klimek joked about striking her ailing husband with a board.
“if he makes any trouble for you take a two by four board and hit him over the head with it”
Listen from 38:02 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart argues the two-by-four remark would read as ordinary dark humor if Klimek were not an actual serial killer.
“And if she wasn't a mass murderer, like a serial killer, I'd be like, that's just regular, like, you've been married and you're trying to be funny when your husband's in a shitty position”
Listen from 38:28 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley quotes Klimek's testimony denying responsibility for her husbands' deaths.
“I loved them. They loved me. They just died. Same as other people. I'm not responsible for that”
Listen from 41:19 · Tillie Klimek murder case
Ash Kelley
Kelley notes that Nellie Koulik was acquitted in November 1923 despite arsenic being found in her exhumed husband's body.
“on November 8th, 1923, a jury found her not guilty and she was free to go. Mind you, they exhumed her husband's body and there was arsenic in it”
Listen from 41:57 · Nellie Koulik trial
Ash Kelley
Kelley says the jury convicted Klimek after about an hour but would not sentence a woman to death, recommending life in prison.
“Fortunately for Tilly, the jury could not bring themselves to sentence a woman to death”
Listen from 42:33 · Capital punishment in the United States
Ash Kelley
Kelley says contemporaries speculated Klimek was convicted because she was considered unattractive, citing unkind press descriptions.
“Some members of the press and public speculated that her conviction was due to her lacking physical attraction”
Listen from 44:11 · Sensationalist press coverage of crime
Ash Kelley
Kelley says Klimek was a model prisoner who sewed American flags and died of heart disease in 1936 at age 64.
“november 20th 1936 she died of heart disease at dwight prison and she was 64”
Listen from 45:12 · Dwight Correctional Center
Alaina Urquhart
Urquhart shares a listener-submitted fact that orcas are documented predators of moose in coastal Alaska and Canada.
“And orcas are documented natural predators of moose in coastal Alaska and Canada. They attack them when they swim between islands or along shorelines”
Listen from 46:14 · Orcas preying on moose

People

In the conversation

Ash KelleyCo-host of the true crime podcast Morbid
Alaina UrquhartCo-host of Morbid, autopsy technician and author of the Butcher novels

Discussed

Tillie KlimekPolish-born Chicago woman convicted in 1923 of murdering her third husband by arsenic poisoning
Joseph KlimekTillie Klimek's fourth husband, who survived arsenic poisoning and cooperated with police
Frank KupchickTillie Klimek's third husband, who died in 1921 and whose murder she was convicted of
Nellie KoulikKlimek's cousin, charged as an alleged accomplice and acquitted in November 1923
P.T. BurnsPhysician who identified Joseph Klimek's symptoms as arsenic poisoning and alerted police
William McNallyChicago chemist who tested medications and exhumed remains for arsenic and testified at trial
William McLaughlinAssistant State's Attorney who prosecuted Tillie Klimek and sought the death penalty
Mildred ScullyNurse who treated Joseph Klimek at home and testified about Tillie's remarks
Belle GunnessEarly 20th-century serial killer to whom the press compared Klimek and Koulik
Joseph RuszkowskiKlimek's second husband, who died three months after their 1914 marriage

Topics

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From the publisher

Chicago in the 1920s is often remembered for the rise of organized crime and it’s larger than life leaders like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio. While these men and their organizations surely shaped the city’s identity, their infamy and influence were, at least for a short time, rivaled by a group of young women whose murderous acts would dominate headlines in papers around the country throughout the decade. While Beulah Annan and Belva Gardner—the real-life inspiration for the musical Chicago—were arguably the most well known of the female murders from this era, their famous murders were preceded by the equally sensationalized murder spree of Tillie Klimek. Between 1914 and 1921, Klimek was believed to have killed as many as seven people including four husbands. While her crimes would ultimately land her in the Illinois State Penitentiary for the rest of her life, her exploits and criminal trial were sensational and occupied the front pages of city newspapers for years.

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on September 27, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: True Crime·History·Society & Culture