Caroline Grills

Caroline Grills (née Mickelson) (c.1888 in Balmain, New South Wales, Australia – 6 October 1960), was an Australian serial killer, whose modus operandi was poisoning her victims.

Caroline Grills
Caroline Grills, arriving at Sydney Central Court on 9 July 1953
Born
Caroline Mickelson

c. 1888[1]
Balmain, New South Wales, Australia[1]
Died6 October 1960 (aged 71–72), Randwick, New South Wales[1]
Cause of deathPeritonitis from ruptured gastric ulcer
Other namesAunty Carrie, "Aunt Thally" whilst imprisoned
Criminal penaltyLife imprisonment
Details
Victims4 (3 attempted murders)
Span of crimes
1947–1953
CountryAustralia
State(s)New South Wales[1][2]
Date apprehended
April 1953 (1953-04)

Biography

Grills was born to George Michelson and Mary (née Preiers) in Balmain, Sydney and married on 22 April 1908 to Richard William Grills, and had six children, five daughters and a son. She first became a murder suspect in 1947 after the deaths of four family members: her 87-year-old stepmother Christine Mickelson; relatives by marriage Angelina Thomas and John Lundberg; and sister in law Mary Anne Mickelson. Authorities tested tea she had given to two additional family members (Christine Downey and John Downey of Redfern) on 13 April 1953, and detected the common household rat poison, thallium.

Grills, a short woman who wore thick rimmed dark glasses, commonly served her friends and in-laws tea, cakes and biscuits, and lived in Gladesville, after the death of her father in 1948. She appeared in court charged with four murders and three attempted murders (the third being Eveline Lundberg, of Redfern, Christine Downey's mother) in October 1953. She was convicted on 15 October 1953 and sentenced to death, but her sentence was later changed to life in prison. She became affectionately known as "Aunt Thally" to other inmates of Sydney's Long Bay prison. In October 1960, she was rushed to the Prince Henry Hospital at Randwick where she died from peritonitis[1] from a ruptured gastric ulcer. In the months that followed more cases of thallium poisoning were stated, including notably, prominent Australian Rugby League footballer Bobby Lulham.

See also

References
  1. Garton, Stephen Grills, Caroline (1888–1960 in Australian Dictionary of Biography Online, ANU 1996. Accessed 28 April 2012.
  2. "Murder, tried and true". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 February 2003. Retrieved 16 January 2008.


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