In the quiet village of Vladimirovac, nestled in present-day Serbia, an elderly woman named Baba Anujka appeared to be the epitome of kindness—a grandmotherly figure with a warm smile and a knack for herbal remedies. But beneath her gentle facade lurked a chilling secret: she was one of history’s most prolific serial killers, orchestrating the deaths of between 50 and 150 men with her deadly poisons. Arrested at the age of 90 in 1928, Baba Anujka, the “Witch of Vladimirovac,” left behind a legacy as dark as it was enigmatic.
Born Ana Draxin around 1837 in what is now Romania, Baba Anujka grew up in wealth and privilege. Her father, a prosperous cattleman, ensured she received a fine education, mastering chemistry, medicine, and five languages—a rare accomplishment for her time. When her family relocated to Vladimirovac, then part of the Austrian Empire, Ana attended an elite private school in Pančevo, mingling with the children of other prominent families.
But her idyllic life took a tragic turn when she fell deeply in love with an Austrian military officer. The romance ended in heartbreak, with the officer allegedly abandoning her and leaving her with syphilis. This betrayal sowed seeds of bitterness and mistrust, setting the stage for her transformation into the infamous “Witch of Vladimirovac.”’
After the heartbreak, Ana married a wealthy landowner named Pistov. They reportedly had 11 children, though only one survived to adulthood. After two decades of marriage, Pistov’s death left Ana a widow, and it was then that she began to craft her deadly legacy.
Following her husband’s death, Ana, now known as Baba Anujka—“Baba” meaning “grandmother” or “old woman” and “Anujka” a nickname for Ana—built a laboratory in her home. Her knowledge of herbs and chemistry made her a respected figure among locals, who sought her out for remedies to cure ailments or dodge military drafts. She concocted mild herbal mixtures that could render a man “somewhat incompetent,” allowing him to avoid conscription, as historian Šimon Đarmati noted.
But Baba Anujka’s talents soon took a sinister turn. In an era when divorce was socially unthinkable, she began offering “magic waters” and “love potions” to desperate women trapped in unhappy or abusive marriages. These potions, often laced with arsenic and plant toxins, were anything but magical—they were deadly. Her clients, primarily farmers’ wives, sought her help to “solve” their marital problems permanently.
Baba Anujka’s operation was chillingly efficient. She worked with an accomplice, Ljubina Milankov, who mingled with village women at the well, eavesdropping on their complaints about drunken or violent husbands. Ljubina would subtly suggest that Baba Anujka could offer a solution. “How heavy is your problem?” Baba Anujka would ask, a coded question to gauge the victim’s body weight and calculate the lethal dose. “After the eighth day, you won’t have any more problems,” she’d promise. True to her word, her victims—mostly healthy men—typically died within a week.
Her poisons were so effective and discreet that she operated undetected for decades, her reputation as a healer masking her role as a killer. In one notorious case, she allegedly offered a newlywed couple a “refreshing drink” after a village dance, only for them to perish days later. Her clients, many unaware of the potions’ true nature, believed she wielded supernatural powers.
Baba Anujka’s reign of terror might have continued indefinitely if not for a repeat client named Stana Momirov. After using Anujka’s poison to kill her first husband, Lazar Ludoški, Momirov returned to eliminate her second husband’s wealthy uncle. The similarities in the men’s deaths raised suspicions, and when Momirov was arrested, she quickly implicated Baba Anujka.
In 1928, at the age of 90, Baba Anujka was arrested alongside several accomplices, including Ljubina Milankov. “I am collaborating with the devil, young man,” she reportedly declared to the authorities. “If you imprison me, you will remember me until your death.” Despite her ominous warning, the police pressed forward.
Her trial in June 1929 drew crowds to the District Court in Pančevo, eager to witness the downfall of the “Witch of Vladimirovac.” Forensic tests on exhumed bodies confirmed poisoning as the cause of death, but Baba Anujka maintained her innocence, insisting she sold only harmless herbal remedies. “I’m completely innocent,” she tearfully proclaimed in court. “Kill me, I can’t take it any longer.”
The court was unconvinced. Found guilty, Baba Anujka was sentenced to 15 years in prison for her role in the murders. Yet, her advanced age and frail health led to her release after just eight years. She returned to Vladimirovac, living quietly until her death on September 1, 1938, at the age of 100.
Baba Anujka’s story is as captivating as it is chilling. Responsible for between 50 and 150 deaths, she ranks among the world’s most prolific serial killers—and one of the oldest. Her ability to blend into village life as a trusted healer while secretly crafting deadly poisons speaks to her cunning and complexity.
Yet, nearly a century after her death, the line between fact and legend blurs. Was she a vengeful woman driven by heartbreak, a cold-blooded killer profiting from others’ despair, or a misunderstood healer whose remedies were misused? The truth may lie somewhere in between, forever obscured by the myth of the “Witch of Vladimirovac.” One thing is certain: Baba Anujka’s dark secret transformed her from a sweet old lady into a haunting figure in the annals of crime.