Jane Toppan

Jane Toppan
Born
Honora Kelley

March 31, 1854
StatusDeceased
DiedAugust 17, 1938 (aged 84)
Other namesJolly Jane
Motive
Criminal chargeMurder (x12)
VerdictNot guilty by reason of insanity
PenaltyInvoluntary commitment to a mental hospital for life
Details
Victims12 confirmed, 31 confessed, 100+ suspected
Span of crimes
1895–1901
CountryU.S.
StateMassachusetts
Date apprehended
October 29, 1901 (1901-10-29)

Jane Toppan (born Honora Kelley; March 31, 1854 – August 17, 1938), nicknamed Jolly Jane, was an American serial killer who murdered 12 people in Massachusetts between 1895 and 1901, although she confessed to killing 31 and is suspected of killing more than 100. The killings were carried out in Toppan's capacity as a nurse, targeting patients and their family members. Toppan, who admitted to having committed the murders to satisfy a sexual fetish, was quoted as saying that her ambition was "to have killed more people—helpless people—than any other man or woman who ever lived".