Kalthoum was arrested in September 2023 after news spread of the murder of 11 men, all of whom were her husbands. According to Iranian media, the crimes came to light after the death of her octogenarian husband in September 2023, leading the investigation to her confession of killing other men. There are concerns that the number of victims may exceed twenty, as she had at least 37 marriages, both permanent and temporary, with all her husbands deceased. Kalthoum would give her victims medications causing convulsions and drugs mixed with toxic substances to kill them slowly. She would provide them with diabetes medications, gradually increasing the doses to prevent sudden symptoms. After convulsions appeared, she would take the husband to the hospital, attempting to save him, then return to poison him until he died without the true cause of death being noticed. In one of her early crimes, she used a lethal mix of industrial alcohol and suffocated the victim with a pillow, subsequently inheriting a large piece of land in his name. Kalthoum confessed to killing 11 men and an attempted murder, and her case was referred to the Second Criminal Court in Sari City, where she faces charges of premeditated murder. These crimes went unnoticed for years, especially since all the victims were elderly and in poor health, making their deaths appear natural. However, suspicions arose around mid-2023 after the death of an elderly man who had expressed doubts about his wife’s behavior before his death. These suspicions led his brother to file an official complaint, prompting a comprehensive investigation into the case. During her court appearance, Kalthoum initially denied the charges but was forced to confess after a video showed her reenacting the murders she committed. These crimes bring to mind similar cases where a woman killed seven wealthy elderly men after forming temporary marriage contracts with them, exploiting this type of marriage to access their wealth before killing them.
