Italy’s Infamous Soap-Maker: The Woman Who Turned Her Victims into Teacakes
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Faustina said he was the butt of everyone's joke. The lifelong bachelorette never had much luck with love. Now, all the suitable bachelors were off fighting in World War II. Meanwhile, Faustina was pushing her mid-forties. Time was running out. Every arranged marriage had fallen through. Her natural relationships fizzled out after a few weeks.

The well ran dry, and soon the only unwed men still available in Correggio, Italy, were the abusers, the drunks, and the mentally unwell. Faustina was desperate. She was sick of being made fun of. She'd do anything and go anywhere for a husband.

At the end of her rope, she contacted a local fortune teller. Leonarda Cianciulli was among Correggio's most respected women. She was the 45-year-old mother of 14 children, 10 of whom died in their youth. Her tragic life and unwavering devotion to her family made her a role model. She was a businesswoman who made the best soap and tea cakes in Northern Italy.

Women like Faustina wanted to be just like her, even though her biological clock was ticking down.

And yet, even the great and powerful Leonarda couldn't find her a husband. Faustina was ready to give up after another lonely year. Then, one day, Leonarda shared some good news. When Faustina arrived at Leonarda's small Correggio cottage, she found the soap maker full of manic energy. Leonarda had found her a man, a handsome, wealthy man from across the Adriatic Sea.

He was from Pola, now part of modern-day Croatia. Leonarda had been writing to him on Faustina's behalf. She sent a picture and claimed the man had fallen head over heels in love. He wanted to get married as soon as possible. Faustina was overcome with joy. She handed her life savings over to Leonarda for safe passage across the country and to thank her for all she'd done. Things moved quickly from there.

Leonarda instructed Faustina to write letters to her friends and family about her new life in Pola. Leonarda promised to send the letters herself over the next few weeks, as Faustina deserved to enjoy her wedding and honeymoon without distraction.

On the day she was set to leave, Faustina arrived at Leonarda's empty cottage with her letters in hand. Leonarda poured them both a glass of wine. It was early, but love was reason enough to celebrate. Faustina took hers down with one big gulp, her eyes panned toward an open window, where she soaked in the warm Italian sun. Then…

Something felt off. Her movements lagged. Her brain told her legs to move, but nothing happened. She tried to speak, but her mouth wouldn't open. The words trapped in her throat. She looked in her wine glass. Herbs and powders lined the bottom. Had she not drunk it so quickly, she would have realized that there was something more than wine inside. She'd been poisoned, and the poison was acting swiftly. Her ears still worked, though.

She heard Leonarda's footsteps and something dragging on the wood floor. Something metal. From the corner of her eye, Faustina watched Leonarda raise an axe over her head. "Sorry," Leonarda said before bringing the axe down. There was no wealthy man across the Adriatic. Leonarda Cianciulli wasn't a world-renowned matchmaker. She was a superstitious mother who believed a curse marred her life.

Her son, her precious boy, was off fighting another man's war. She'd do anything to protect him, even if it meant human sacrifice. She murdered in his name, cooked down the bodies, and sold them as soap and tea cakes. She was like Sweeney Todd and Tyler Durden rolled into one middle-aged ball of Italian superstition. She's among the most famous serial killers in Italian history.

and some believe her curse still lives strong today. Part 1: The Cursed Child Leonardo Cianciulli was born in 1894 in Montella Avellino in southern Italy. Some say she was cursed at the moment of conception.

Her mother, Emilia Nofi, was a natural beauty from a wealthy family who could have any man she wanted. Since she was a little girl, she dreamed of wearing a pretty white dress at her perfect wedding. Leonardo's father, Mariano Cianciulli, was a cruel man from a poor family. He hated Emilia despite being obsessed with her. He wanted to tear her down from atop her pedestal. He wanted to make her as miserable and loathsome as he was.

One night, while Emilia enjoyed a fancy dinner with one of her many suitors, Mariano got drunk on cheap wine and stalked her outside the home. He followed as she left and pounced like a hungry lion. He dragged her into a field and began wrestling with her skirt. He raped her and then left her alone to cry and bleed. Emilia dragged herself home and snuck into her bed. She awoke the next morning believing it had all been a nightmare.

Then, she saw the dry blood on her thighs. The pain set in quickly, as did the Catholic guilt. She'd been sheltered all her life, but she was wise enough to know that whatever happened the night before had something to do with sex. She wasn't married and, therefore, would be seen as a whore, despite being raped. The shameful act made her feel wicked, sinful, and corrupt.

She tried hiding it as best she could. However, there was no hiding the bump in her belly. Her parents confronted her, threatening to go house to house until they found the man who defiled their daughter. Emilia didn't want her shame spread around town. She told them about Mariano and the rape, though she hid many of the sinful details. As far as Emilia's parents were concerned, there was only one way to make this right. Mariano was to marry Emilia immediately.

There was no white dress, her friends and family were hardly present. The ceremony only lasted a few minutes. She and Mariano hadn't spoken since the night he raped her. They stayed silent as they moved into their new home, a hovel in the poorest part of Montella Avellino. Emilia's life was destroyed, now forced to spend her happily ever after with the man who ruined it. And yet, Mariano only made things worse.

He beat and raped her throughout her pregnancy. He told everyone that Emilia had given in to her carnal desires. Her mother and the rest of high society turned their backs on her. Even the poor women of Montella mocked her as a whore. The pregnancy and Mariano's beatings caused Emilia to bloat. She was in constant pain, which only worsened when the baby arrived. She was alone when her water broke. Mariano had gone out drinking with his friends.

She crawled into the street and begged for help, but nobody came to aid the local whore. Finally, a woman took pity and called the town midwife. Emilia spent the next several hours slipping in and out of consciousness and bleeding profusely. Finally, Leonarda arrived, a baby born from pain and hate, a child cursed from the moment of conception. The family moved from town to town, often being kicked out of their homes for unpaid rent.

Mariano preferred drinking all day and spending what little money he had on prostitutes. In fiction, Emilia's motherhood may have been her redemption arc, but this is real life, and in real life, people often make things worse. Emilia couldn't stand up for herself. She couldn't fight Mariano or say what was on her mind. Instead, she poured her hate into Leonardo.

The child was beaten for the slightest infraction. Like her mother, misery was baby Leonardo's only company. Emilia's only respite came when Mariano fell ill. She slept soundly as he died slowly. For the first time in years, Emilia could finally dream. She faked a smile at Mariano's funeral. When everyone was gone, she spat on his grave. Emilia started over.

She abandoned Leonarda at home while she went out drinking with new suitors. She remarried a slightly richer man, but he didn't want anything to do with Leonarda. Neither did Emilia. Looking at her daughter reminded her of all the pain Mariano caused. Her mother's hatred weighed heavily on Leonarda. Before she was a teenager, she made a noose out of filthy bedsheets and tried hanging herself from the rafters. The knots came loose and her noose fell apart under her weight.

She tried again at 13, but was equally unsuccessful. In some cruel way, fate kept Leonarda from dying. She was destined for much, much more.

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Crime Hub Part 2 Love and Marriage Leonardo's home life was hell. Her only escape was to one day marry a rich man and leave Avellino forever. Luckily, the mother's sins did not reflect on the daughter. Leonardo still had her mother's nofi blood in her. The name carried weight and would attract plenty of wealthy suitors. Leonardo knew it, and so did Amelia.

Unfortunately, their refusal to communicate led both women to form their own marriage plans. Emilia had been shopping her daughter around, hoping to marry her way back into Italian high society. Meanwhile, Leonarda was engaged in the 1917 equivalent of dating. By the end of the year, Leonarda had narrowed her options to one man, a registry office clerk named Raffaele Ponsardi. He wasn't anybody important.

He had a low-paying government job that would support them, but never helped them ascend. Amelia didn't approve in the slightest, but Leonarda didn't care. She was in love. Leonarda and Rafael were married in a small ceremony. Amelia did not attend. When Leonarda returned home to gather the last of her things, Amelia cursed her and her marriage. She took all her hate and anger and dumped it over her daughter's head.

She wished nothing but pain, suffering, and ill will upon them. Whatever evil exists in this world, Amelia wanted it to follow her daughter like a shadow, and that shadow followed Leonarda for the rest of her life. A lifetime of abuse took its toll on Leonarda. She suffered from epileptic seizures and severe PTSD, though neither was formally diagnosed.

She sobbed whenever she burned their dinner and cowered in fear when she stained her husband's laundry. Rafael was a sweet and gentle man. He didn't understand why Leonarda treated minor inconveniences like world-ending catastrophes. Panic attacks were all too common, but Leonarda refused to see a doctor. She was a deeply superstitious woman who believed her mother's curse caused all her trouble.

Leonarda was so convinced that she went to see a fortune teller instead. Before the reading could even begin, she blurted out, "Am I going to die?" The fortune teller took Leonarda's hands and traced her palm with a fingertip. "You're not going to die," she said. "Not for a long time." That was only the good news. The fortune teller continued, "You're going to live a long life full of sadness. You are going to outlive every one of your children.

The fortune teller's words were a self-fulfilling prophecy. Leonarda got pregnant three years later. The baby spiked Leonarda's anxiety. She'd do whatever it took to protect the child from her mother's curse. The stress brought on more epileptic seizures, which often caused Leonarda to fall. Three months into the pregnancy, Leonarda suffered her first miscarriage. To escape Emilia's curse, the couple moved to Rafael's hometown of Lauria in Potenza.

They built a small home, and Leonardo's supportive in-laws helped calm her nerves. Life was finally decent. In 1922, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Giuseppe. Giuseppe meant the world to Leonardo. Soon, he became something of a prophet. More miscarriages marred the next several years. Somehow, Giuseppe was the only one strong enough to survive Amelia's curse.

To overcome such evil, Giuseppe must have been the most important child in the world. But the curse seemingly faded when Leonarda gave birth to two baby girls and another boy. Later, after one girl developed a lung condition, it came roaring back to claim her, and soon, the baby boy shortly after. By the mid-1920s, Leonarda had been pregnant six times. She suffered two miscarriages and buried two toddlers.

She became extremely paranoid about her surviving kids. Giuseppe was hardly allowed to leave the house, and when he did, Leonarda had to accompany him at all times. She gave birth to five more boys over the next five years. Each of them died before reaching their third birthday. Each death killed another part of Leonarda. She'd tear out her hair and spiral into fits of intense depression. Soon, she had lost seven children to disease, mishap, and miscarriage.

Her mother's curse was stronger than ever. She'd become even more protective of Giuseppe and her surviving daughter. She hovered above them 24/7. They never slept soundly, as Leonarda would shake them at night to make sure they weren't dead. Rafael got Leonarda a cleaning job at the local bank to distract her.

Despite having plenty of cash, the bank skimped on cleaning supplies. To keep it sleek and shiny, Leonarda had to learn how to make her own soaps from whatever materials she could gather. She found an odd sense of satisfaction in soap making. It eased her mind and kept her from suffocating her kids.

She'd spent her nights like a scientist in the lab, mixing different ingredients in search of the most caustic soap. The bank job didn't pay well enough for Leonarda to build the nest egg she always wanted for her children. Knowing she'd never earn enough, Leonarda turned to fraud. While alone in the bank at night, Leonarda created a fake account in the ledger. She penciled in a reasonable amount of money without being too greedy.

Imagine breaking into your bank, creating a fake account, and typing it that it had $100,000. The bank spotted the discrepancy almost immediately. In 1927, police escorted Leonarda out of the bank and charged her with fraud. In her confession, she claimed she was seized by madness and the grief of burying 10 children. Leonarda served an 18-month sentence at a Catholic reform institution.

The nuns weren't known for their kindness, but neither was Leonarda's mother. Prison was easy compared to her childhood. She served her sentence, but returned home to an unwelcoming environment. Her fraud had cost Rafael his job, as the local government didn't trust him anymore. Her once supportive in-laws also turned their backs on her. The family was alone and on the move once again.

They settled briefly in Avellino. Then, in 1930, their home was destroyed by the Irpinia earthquake, a powerful 6.6 magnitude tremor that killed over 1400 people. Ironically, it didn't claim any of Leonarda's children. It did cost them everything though. They lost their home, their money, and all their possessions. For Leonarda, it cemented in her mind that her mother's curse was real.

By the time they moved to Reggio Emilia, Leonarda and Raphael had lost 10 children. The only survivors were Giuseppe, two girls, and their youngest baby boy. Part 3: The Great War Correggio is a tiny town in the province of Reggio Emilia in northern Italy. They had heard about the earthquake and welcomed refugees like Leonarda and her children with open arms. Strangely, the earthquake helped them land on their feet

Rafael got a new job while Leonarda lived on donations from the church. In time, they had a beautiful home attached to a small general store. They had a savings account and, most importantly, all of her children were healthy. Leonarda hoped that the curse had lifted. She hadn't spoken to or seen Emilia in years. She wondered if her mother was even still alive. Perhaps the earthquake was the last of her mother's wrath. Maybe the wretched woman was dead.

In Correggio, Leonarda started anew. She embedded herself in several social circles, often playing the role of the astute listener. She took in all the drama without ever picking a side. Soon, the women of Correggio sought her advice on love and marriage. They'd sit and talk while enjoying Leonarda's famous homemade tea cakes.

When the tiny shop attached to their home was abandoned, Leonarda bought the property and converted it into a soap store and bakery. Within weeks, she had a bustling business, soon to be regarded as one of the best soap makers in Reggio Emilia, perhaps all of Italy. With the growing fame, she made enough money to support her family. Women continued coming to her for advice, and soon Leonarda began marketing herself as a fortune teller and matchmaker.

Farmers came to ask where they should plant their crops. Women came begging to know which suitors would be the better match. All of them threw money and praise at Leonarda's feet. Secretly, she read books on spells, alchemy, and voodoo. She wanted to learn how to control fate and cast spells to protect her and her family should her mother's curse return. In 1939, it finally did.

Benito Mussolini's fascist party had been consolidating power since 1922. His army rolled over less powerful nations like Libya and Albania, and he established the state of Italian East Africa after several bloody wars and carpet bombing campaigns. Mussolini wanted to return Italy to the days of the Roman Empire and create a world dominated by fascism. He and Adolf Hitler were a match made in hell.

When Italy joined the Axis powers, Mussolini launched a vast recruitment campaign to strengthen his armed forces, which were stretched thin after his eastern expansion. Intense propaganda convinced young Italian men that Poland, France, and the UK would roll over as easily as Libya and Ethiopia. For Giuseppe, who'd grown into a fine young man, it was his ticket out from under Leonardo's prying eye.

While she had improved during their time in Correggio, Leonarda was still overprotective and overbearing. Giuseppe couldn't take it anymore and joined the Royal Italian Army when the first military recruiter walked through town. While Giuseppe swallowed Mussolini's lies, women like Leonarda saw through them. Her generation had lived through World War I, which claimed the lives of 600,000 Italian men.

Over a million returned home with missing limbs and lifelong injuries. Not even 20 years later, Italy was poised to sacrifice another generation. Giuseppe wasn't a soldier. He could hardly hold his own in a fistfight. All Leonardo could see were mortars blowing him to bits or machine guns ripping his body to shreds. Leonardo combed through her spell books and handwritten notes. There had to be something in there that would shield Giuseppe from the horrors of war.

Finally, she settled on a fundamental principle: to get something, one must give something. In this case, Leonarda wanted to keep Giuseppe's life. Therefore, she had to give another. Leonarda had never considered hurting someone else. She didn't even like butchering her own chickens. But oddly, the sight of blood and the thought of death didn't bother her. She'd seen enough of both between the miscarriages and funerals.

If she were to kill someone, it would have to be quick and painless. More importantly, she couldn't get caught. At least, not until the spell was cast. The first part was easy. Her studies had taught her how to combine herbs that would kill rather than clean or heal. She could easily poison the next customer in her store. But their random death might raise too many questions. Whoever she killed had to die in her home. Leonarda had to be in complete control.

She was in a position of absolute trust with the local women that any modern serial killer would envy. One of them would easily do. Faustina Setti never saw it coming. Ladies, you'll end up shopping for your guy's deodorant, right? So try Degree's Original Cool Rush. You see, last year, Degree changed the formula and men were mad. One guy even started a petition. So Degree admitted they messed up and brought the Original Cool Rush scent back. It's clean,

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The last thing Faustina saw before she died was the woman she trusted bringing an axe down over her head. Leonarda swung and swung and swung until Faustina was in tiny pieces on her floor. All she could think about was her husband and children coming home to find the gory mess. But she had to see this through. She had to do it for Giuseppe. Leonarda hung the body parts on herb-drying racks and drained the blood into buckets on the floor.

She transferred the blood onto baking trays and roasted it in her stone oven. She needed the blood to dry into a fine, mixable tea cake flour. As the blood dried out, Leonarda placed the remaining body parts in pots of caustic soda. She watched as the chemicals melted the flesh, muscle, and bone. With the scarf over her face to block the fumes, she cooked Faustina on the family stove.

She needed to render the fat until it was pliable enough to turn into soap. That's how Leonardo planned on administering her potion without Giuseppe knowing. He loved his mother's cooking, her tea cakes especially. Even if the taste was off, Giuseppe would never question it. He'd simply blame it on a bad batch of flour. As for the soap, he'd rub it all over his body while away at war.

The spell would act like a shield that no allied bullet could pierce. Leonarda mixed the dry blood with flour, sugar, and eggs. To suppress the iron taste, she added a pinch more vanilla than the recipe called for. She kneaded the dough, cut it into squares, and placed it back in the oven. Ten minutes later, and her tea cakes were done. She couldn't taste much difference when she bit into the first one.

Now, all that was left was to check on the Faustina liquid. She lifted the lid and was immediately struck by a horrible, rotten smell. She couldn't turn this into soap. It would stink like death, and the town would surely question why Leonarda had sold them a bad batch. Even worse, she couldn't bear the thought of failing her son. He would never rub this foul thing all over his body.

She emptied the liquid into buckets and poured it into a nearby septic pit. Part 5: Francesca Soavi It was August 1940. Leonarda's clock was ticking. The next Royal Army representative was due back in town in November to collect Giuseppe and the rest of the new recruits. She'd spent the last several weeks reconciling with her failure. She fed the remaining Faustina tea cakes to customers, visitors, and family members.

She pored over her books and research. Sure, she'd done everything right. The only conclusion that made sense was that her offering wasn't enough. Giuseppe was destined to live a glorious and happy life after the war. Faustina's life simply couldn't compare. Leonarda needed a younger victim. Someone with potential and promise. Someone like her mother. Francesca Suavi was a local teacher who had left her job to care for her dying husband.

He passed, leaving her with no children and no financial support. Her old job had been filled, and now Francesca teetered on the verge of destitution. The teacher was still young, though, and able to work or bear children. She'd make any man happy, she just needed the right connections. Leonarda promised to help. All she needed was a little guidance to get back on her feet.

Leonarda used a similar script to lure Francesca into her trap. She said a teaching job was available in Piacenza, a small northern town near the Swiss border. Francesca would teach the daughters of ambassadors, dignitaries, and royalty. It was a free ticket into high society. Like Faustina, Francesca was told to write letters to her friends and family. Leonarda told her not to worry. She'd send the letters once Francesca left.

She fed Francesca the same poisoned cocktail she used to render Faustina immobile. This time, she laid out buckets and had the axe ready to go. Everything was methodical, purposeful, and planned. Leonarda waited for Francesca to slump over. Then, she grabbed the axe and delivered one perfect killing blow. She carved Francesca like a butcher and hung the parts to drain.

When they were empty, she dissolved them in acid while the blood baked in the oven. This time, the tea cakes had a distinct iron taste. Leonarda believed this was a good sign. It meant her spell was working. Hopefully, her soap would work this time too. Lifting the pot lid, the same horrible odor filled the room. She didn't understand what went wrong this time,

Frustrated, she grabbed the pot handles to throw the mixture away, only to burn her palms on the hot cast iron. Gazing at her white, bubbled skin, Leonarda was now scarred, her failure living on her body forever. Giuseppe didn't ask questions when he came home later that day. He ate the tea cakes and discarded the Francesca liquid, believing it was just bad soap.

He was more concerned about his mother and her bandaged hands. He knew she didn't want him to leave, but would she go as far as burning herself to get him to stay? Leonarda said she burned herself because she wasn't paying attention. Giuseppe saw through the lies. His mother always paid attention to everything, perhaps a little too much. Part 6: Virginia Caccioppo Time was running out for Leonarda.

Italian propaganda made it seem that the war was going well for the Axis powers, and Giuseppe was more eager than ever to join. It took her another month of study to figure out what was wrong with her spell. She was too focused on the action instead of the intent, and the fear of getting caught clouded her mind. Magic is about intent, and Leonarda intended to save her eldest son's life.

She had to focus on that this time. It was the last chance she'd have before he shipped off for war. Virginia Caccioppo held the same local celebrity status as Leonardo. She was a soprano who'd sung in the opera houses of Milan. She carried herself with dignity, wore fine clothing, and doused herself in the best perfumes.

She began as a customer in Leonardo's store. Their love for music and poetry bonded them as friends in their tiny, unsophisticated town. But Virginia had a secret. She hadn't worked since leaving the opera. Her savings were running out, and her time in Correggio was coming to an end. She was anxious about falling into poverty or working a job that didn't suit her natural talents. Out of options, she turned to the only person she believed could help.

Leonarda delayed Virginia's plans long enough to gather her supplies. However, baiting her was more complicated this time. Virginia wasn't as desperate as Faustina and Francesca. She had a strong relationship with her brother and sister-in-law. Neither would ever accept the fact that Virginia abruptly packed up and left. Leonarda had to target her victim's ego rather than her desperation.

She told Virginia that she'd found a secretarial job in the South, managing the affairs of a wealthy businessman who dealt in artwork. Virginia's background in theater would help her fit right in. She'd get to attend parties where she'd drink and socialize with Italian celebrities. Her job was building connections that her employer could later exploit. However, the job required secrecy. She couldn't even tell her brother.

Her employer was a private man who wanted to make his money in the shadows. There, of course, was no employer. There were no parties, and Virginia would never meet any Italian celebrities. The singer awoke on September 30th, 1940, ready to start her new life. She said goodbye to her brother, who was the only person who knew about this job in the South. Leonarda was mixing the poison wine when Virginia arrived.

It was too early, and Virginia wanted to keep a clear mind for the road. She didn't want to drink, nor did she want to offend Leonarda. Her friend had done so much for her. This job was about to change her life.

Virginia relented, saying, "I don't know why you're so intent on me drinking this wine, but if it's important to you, I shall." As Virginia slipped in and out of consciousness, Leonarda stripped off her clothes and fine jewelry. She prepared the pots and pans and stoked the open flames.

Grabbing her axe, she loomed over Virginia's body and drove the blade into her chest. Her ribs split, blood splattered, painting Leonarda's face red. She kept swinging, piece by piece. She hacked Virginia up as she had the others. By now, Leonarda should have realized that dissolving murder victims in caustic soda will never smell good. Instead, she insisted that something was wrong.

But she was out of time. This was her last chance, and she'd be damned if she threw out another batch. She grabbed Virginia's distinct perfume and emptied the bottle into the pot. A lovely aroma filled Leonarda's tiny house. She smiled from ear to ear. This was it. She'd done it. The tea cakes were sweeter this time, and the soap was rich, creamy, and floral.

When it settled, Leonarda cut and held up a bar. She was proud of her work. She had saved her son's life. She awkwardly bathed Giuseppe that night. She scrubbed every inch of his body with her magic soap. For dinner, they ate tea cakes until their bellies bulged. Over the next several days, Leonarda sold the evidence of her crime to unsuspecting customers. Part of her hoped the protection spell would rub off on them.

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As promised, Leonarda sent all the letters that her victims had pre-written. Faustina and Francesca's respective families bought the stories. As for Virginia, her sister-in-law, Albertina, wasn't easily swayed. Virginia's brother had told his wife about the secretive secretary job, but Albertina noticed a few loose threads. Why would some big-shot art dealer hire an out-of-practice singer he'd never met to run his hyper-secretive business?

Albertina began investigating. She questioned everyone Virginia had recently spent time with. Eventually, all roads led back to Leonarda's little shop of horrors. Albertina knew Leonarda's reputation as a palm reader. She arrived under the guise of spiritual advice, hoping to extract some information about Virginia. Leonarda lied through her teeth. She began crying when Virginia came up and blamed the tears on missing her friend.

but Albertina didn't buy it. After talking to Leonarda's neighbors, she learned that Virginia was last seen alive walking into the soap shop. More importantly, nobody ever saw her leave. She went straight to the Reggio Emilia provincial police. An investigation uncovered the disappearance of Faustina Setti and Francesca Soavi. Police soon confirmed that both women visited Leonarda around the time they vanished.

Officers questioned Leonarda, but the astute liar gave them the runaround. The only evidence they had to work with was the letters her victims' families had received. Police traced three letters via the postmarks to different offices in Reggio Emilia. The employees said they'd never met or seen Leonarda. Her son, Giuseppe, was familiar though. The investigation turned to him. They had enough to secure a search warrant for Leonarda's soap shop.

Inside, they found items and clothing belonging to the three missing women. They also found thousands of dollars that Leonarda had conned out of her victims. The narrative made perfect sense. Everyone knew Giuseppe was leaving town. He must have lied about joining the army. Instead, he planned on starting over, using the stolen cash from his victims to fund his new life.

That made more sense than the local fortune teller committing three human sacrifices and concocting potions to protect her son. To Giuseppe's credit, he never cracked under intense interrogation. He knew why they suspected him, but he wouldn't confess to a crime he didn't commit. Suddenly, there was a violent banging on the police department door. It was Leonarda. She'd come to make a full confession. The police entertained the story at first.

They treated it more like a joke than an honest confession. Then, Leonarda went into great detail about the murders. Her stories included facts that only the killer would know. She described turning the bodies into tea cakes and how her first two attempts at soap had failed. When the police told Giuseppe, everything suddenly fell into place. He recalled his mother's burned hands and the awkward bath she'd given him. He vomited just thinking about it.

Leonarda was arrested and charged with the murders of Faustina Setti, Francesca Soavi, and Virginia Cacioppo. Her husband, Rafael, was stunned. He tried to support Leonarda while she was behind bars, but the thought of her butchering bodies in their home made him sick. As for Giuseppe, his military deployment came as a gift. He'd rather suffer in the hells of war than spend another minute with his serial killer mother.

World War II delayed Leonarda's trial for six years. In the end, it only took three days to convict her. She was found guilty and sentenced to 30 years in prison, followed by a mandatory three-year stay in a mental asylum. Ironically, Leonarda spent most of her time working in the kitchens of Pozzuoli prison. In her free time, she wrote an autobiography titled "The Confessions of an Embittered Soul."

20 years into her sentence, Leonarda began suffering significant brain bleeds. Initially, her doctors thought it was the result of a minor stroke or head trauma. Then, they looked deeper into her life. She was suffering from caustic soap poisoning. The clouds she inhaled while melting her victims had bored small holes in her brain. Over time, those holes grew, causing massive amounts of internal bleeding.

She suffered from severe headaches until she died on October 14th, 1970, one year before her scheduled release date. Her family couldn't be reached to claim her remains. The pots, pans, and tools she used to commit her crimes were seized and displayed at the Criminology Museum in Rome.

According to true crime author Ryan Greene, Leonarda's confessions have been published by several small Italian companies, looking to cash in on her notoriety. Leonarda's living children were able to slip through the cracks created by war-torn Italy. They changed their names, married, and escaped to far-off lands where their mother's influence couldn't haunt them.

As for Giuseppe, Italian records confirm that he enlisted in the army and was deployed in the African theater. But that's where the trail ends. In May of 1943, Allied forces surrounded the Axis powers in Africa. Most of the Italian First Army was captured and sent to the UK as prisoners of war. If Giuseppe were among them, his name would appear in English records. However, there is no trace.

He either died during the fight or used the cover of war to change his identity. Either way, Leonarda's spell didn't work. Even if he survived the war, his mother's crimes instilled such hatred in him that he wanted nothing to do with her. Leonarda was dead to him. Her spells were in vain. He'd never get that rotten taste out of his mouth. That rotten, iron-like taste after biting into one of his mother's tea cakes.

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