Marylin (The Independent) The story of photo journalist Jason P. Howe serves as a grim reminder that there’s nothing sexy about a life of murder for hire.
Ulrike Meinhof, 1964 (Wikipedia) Bank robberies, bombings and the formation of the German militant group Red Army Faction (RAF) made Ulrike Marie Meinhof one dangerous lady. Known alternately as a terrorist and a folk hero, there is no question that Meinhof and the RAF were outright criminals
Laila Ali is the most refined and most non-criminal name on this list, but that doesn’t make her any less dangerous. Considered by many to be the greatest female boxer to ever enter the ring, Ali boasts a flawless 24-0 record with 21 wins coming by way of knock out.
Known for her disciplined and dogged style, Ali is devastating in the ring, with a talent for brutal combinations. She began her career in 1999 with a first-round knock out and ticked off another 8 wins leading up to a high-profile bout between her and Jackie Frazier, daughter of famous Muhammed Ali rival Joe Frazier. It was a tough bout, but Ali cemented her reputation in a win by decision after 8 rounds.
In the course of her career, Ali has earned a permanent scar from a brawl with Valerie Mahfood. She also participated in what is often considered the most violent women’s boxing match ever when she defeated Erin Toughill in a fist-pounding 2005 grudge match.
Lately, Ali has taken a break from the ring as she appeared on Dancing With the Stars in 2007 (placing 3rd) and gave birth to a son in August, 2008. But if she wants to retain her reputation as the toughest woman on Earth, at some point she’ll have to fight Ann Wolfe. Wolfe, who is possibly the hardest hitter in women’s boxing, has accused Ali of making excuses to avoid fighting her.
But until she’s defeated, Ali is still one dangerous knock out.
Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia Krenwinkel giggled through their trial in 1971. In 1969, through the power of a Svengali-like influence, Charles Manson turned 5 attractive, intelligent young women into vicious criminals.
Sandra Good, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Susan Atkins, Leslie Van Houten, and Patricia “Katie” Krenwinkel will forever be known as the Manson Women.
“These are your children,” Manson would later say. “You threw them out and I took them in.”
Only 3 of the women participated in the Tate and LaBianca murders, but the other 2, Fromme and Good are possibly the most disturbed and the most dangerous. Atkins, Van Houten and Krenwinkel have all denounced Manson, expressed remorse for their crimes, and will possibly be behind bars for the rest of their lives. But Fromme and Good are potentially still as dangerous as ever.
Sandra Good, master of the thousand-yard stare. (mansonfamilytoday.info) Neither Fromme, nor Good have ever denounced Charles Manson. Sandra Good was imprisoned for nearly 10 years for sending death threats to corporate executives she believed were polluting the earth. But she’s been free since 1985, and before she disappeared from the media radar, she helped maintain a Web site (atwa.com, defunct since 2001) devoted to Charles Manson.
For her part, Fromme is still in prison for attempting to assassinate then-President Gerald Ford in 1975. Fromme, now 60 is scheduled to be released from prison in August, 2009.
Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme in 1976. (mansonfamilytoday.info) For an idea of how frightening the Manson Women really are, see the videos from their trial. Atkins, Van Houten and Krenwinkel appear in child-like dresses and hair styles, each with an X carved in her forehead just like Manson at the time. The three sang songs and giggled during the trial. Alternately, Atkins testified at one point that when Sharon Tate begged for her life and the life of her unborn child, Atkins showed no mercy.
“Look, bitch, I don’t care a thing about you,” she said. “You’re going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Female criminals have captured headlines and imaginations since there were newspapers and people to say “holy crap, a woman did that?” Not all the women on this list are necessarily criminals, but they are all dangerous in one form or another. They’ve written manifestos, murdered, maimed, run organized criminal operations, influenced hearts and minds, and even kicked a whole lot of ass.
Aileen Wuornos, a Real Female Serial Killer
The Manson Family Women
Sandra Avila Beltran, the Drug Queen of the Pacific
Ulrike Marie Meinhof, Militant German Activist
Marylin the Colombian Assassin
Aafia Siddiqui, the Highest Ranked Woman in al-Qaeda
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