Erzsébet Papp was born on January 28, 1935, in Penészlek, Hungary. She was one of four children in her family, which included two daughters and two sons. Her parents, János and Julianna Papp, were farmers. Erzsébet was known to be intelligent compared to her peers. However, she also had a reputation for having a warped sense of morals.

Erzsébet Papp committed her first murder in 1957 when she poisoned five-year-old Ilona Tarnóczi. Papp mixed nicotine into a drink and gave it to the girl, which caused Ilona to become dizzy and collapse. When rescuers found her, the death was quickly labeled a drowning and the case was closed.

Her second victim was her best friend, Mrs. József Fürtös. Papp decided to kill Fürtös after she heard rumors spread by her. She offered Fürtös a bottle of pálinka laced with nicotine. When Fürtös died, an autopsy suggested her death was due to a botched abortion, leading to more misconceptions about the true cause.

The third murder was Papp's husband, István Rostár, an alcoholic who often abused her. During a dinner outing, Papp poisoned his drinks with nicotine. When he collapsed, the cause of death was wrongly concluded as alcohol poisoning.

Afterwards, Papp married János Holhos in 1959, but she tried to poison him too. He survived and later left her. Papp then sought revenge on her family. She went to visit her sister, Mrs. Ferenc Juhos, and poured nicotine into her drink. Her sister died, but once again, it was considered a non-homicidal death.

Papp's actions finally led to her arrest. She accidentally left a brandy bottle containing nicotine at a liquor store. Two customers consumed it and were poisoned but survived. This prompted an investigation, which uncovered her connection to the earlier deaths. Authorities exhumed the bodies of her victims and confirmed they had been poisoned.

Initially arrested for four murders, Papp was released due to lack of evidence. However, further testimony against her led to her being rearrested. During the trial, she confessed to all murders. Despite being sentenced to life imprisonment, an appeal resulted in her receiving the death penalty. Erzsébet Papp was executed by hanging on January 23, 1962.