Gesina Margarethe Gottfried, known as Gesche, was born on March 6, 1785, in Bremen, Germany. She came from a poor family. Her father was a tailor named Johann Timm and her mother was a seamstress named Gesche Margarethe Timm. Gesche had a twin brother, Johann Timm Jr. From an early age, it seemed that her parents favored her brother. This favoritism affected Gesche's feelings towards her family.

When Gesche turned 21, she married Johan Miltenberg, a saddler. The couple had three children together. Their financial situation changed when Johan's father passed away, and they received an inheritance. However, after they gained money, Johan began drinking and gambling. In 1813, he informed Gesche that they had run out of money. Later that year, he died after suffering from stomach pain.

After Johan's death, Gesche met Michael Kristof Gottfried, a richer wine merchant. In May 1815, Gesche faced another loss when her mother died from stomach pain. Soon after, her two daughters also passed away. These deaths coincided with a cholera epidemic in Germany, which helped to hide the true cause of these tragedies.

In 1826, Gesche sold her house to Johan and Wilhelmina Rumpff. They invited her to stay on as their housekeeper. Shortly after this arrangement, Wilhelmina died. Some people noticed a pattern: a maid left after claiming that illness and death seemed to follow Gesche. Johan Rumpff became cautious when he fell ill and noticed white powder in his food. This powder was later identified as arsenic by a local chemist.

Gesche then fled to Hanover. There, she continued to suffer losses in her life. In 1828, on her 43rd birthday, she was arrested. She later confessed to killing 15 people and attempting to kill others.

Gesche Margarethe Gottfried was a German serial killer who murdered at least 15 people between 1813 and 1827. She used a common rat poison known as "mouse butter," which was a mixture of arsenic and animal fat. She mixed small doses of this poison into the food of her victims. As they became ill, she offered to take care of them, all the while continuing to poison them.

Her first victim was her husband, Johann Miltenberg, whom she killed in October 1813. She went on to murder her mother, two daughters, father, son, brother, and second husband. By May 1815, she had already lost multiple family members. Her actions led to a widespread belief that she was simply a caring figure facing a series of unfortunate events. She garnered sympathy from her community and was nicknamed "the angel of Bremen" for her nursing care of the sick.

As time went on, her killing spree continued with friends and others in her life. In March 1828, Johann Christoph Rumpff, one of her intended victims, became suspicious. He found white granules in his food and shared his concerns with his doctor, Dr. Luce. The granules were tested and found to be arsenic. This alerted the authorities. By the time she was caught, she had already claimed additional victims and had moved to Hannover.

Gesche was arrested on 6 March 1828, which was her 43rd birthday. After a lengthy investigation, she was convicted of murder. She was sentenced to death by decapitation. On 21 April 1831, she was publicly executed, making her the last person to be executed publicly in Bremen. Following her execution, a death mask was made of her face for the study of criminals.