Maria Catherina van der Linden-Swanenburg was born on September 9, 1839, in Leiden, a town in the Netherlands. She was the daughter of Clemens Swanenburg and Johanna Dingjan. Leiden was a working-class town during the 19th century, with many people working in difficult conditions. Maria's father worked long hours but still struggled to provide enough food for the family. The Swanenburg family lived in poverty, and hunger was common. Out of the twelve children in the family, seven died before reaching adulthood.

Maria had a tough childhood. When she was just twelve years old, her family faced eviction because they could not pay their rent. Things did not improve as she grew older. To support herself, Maria took on various jobs, such as doing laundry for others, babysitting, and caring for sick neighbors. Her helpful nature made her well-known in her community, and people gave her the nickname "Goeie Mie," which means "Good Mie."

In May 1868, Maria married Johannes van der Linden, a factory worker who was five years younger than her. The couple had nine children, but their family was often touched by tragedy. Six of their nine children died young. After losing her last child in 1877, Maria fell into alcoholism.

Maria Catherina van der Linden-Swanenburg started her string of murders in 1880. Her first victim was her mother, Johanna. Not long after, she poisoned her father, Clemens. Between 1880 and 1883, it was established that she poisoned at least 102 people with arsenic. Of these, 27 victims died, and 16 of them were her relatives. More than 90 suspicious deaths were investigated. In addition, 45 survivors suffered from chronic health problems after being poisoned.

Maria’s motive for these killings was to collect insurance payouts and inheritances. She had secured most of the insurance policies for her victims. Her criminal activities came to light after she poisoned the Frankhuizen family in December 1883. This led to her arrest.

Maria’s trial began on April 23, 1885. She was found guilty of killing at least three victims. As a result, she was sentenced to life imprisonment. She spent the remainder of her life in a correctional facility and died there in 1915.