Geneva: The Poisonous Nurse

Foul Play: A Historical True Crime Podcast

Shane L. Waters, Wendy Cee, Gemma Hoskins

History, Society & Culture, True Crime

4.5 • 992 Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2025

⏱️ 31 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

On a warm June day in 1868, the vibrant streets of Geneva were struck by the nerve-chilling act of a nurse... The nurse was known for her guiding hand, yet within her grip lurked poison and peril. In Geneva's boarding houses, a deadly pattern unfurled as inhabitants, one by one, fell prey to her lethal touch. The notorious poisoner remained undetected, her crime wave a blight on Switzerland's serene facade. In Season 36 of Foul Play, journeys are made through sinister corridors of history. Episode 9 scrutinizes how a caregiver's betrayal juxtaposed with the solace they're meant to provide. Her victims encompassed the wide spectrum of lodgers seeking refuge and recovery at these Geneva sanctuaries. Among them, a young woman, full of promise and vitality, whose dreams dissolved in her nurse's care. Her presence was a breath of fresh air, yet her sudden demise cast long shadows over her potential-filled journey. The ramifications of this nurse's actions penetrated deep, creating ripples of fear within Geneva's hospitality landscape. Her story exemplifies the catastrophic breach of trust when those tasked with healing wield power for harm, challenging the community's sense of security. Living through limited scientific insight, detectives struggled with tracing her subterfuge. Forensic limitations meant reliance on circumstantial evidence, a laborious collation of symptoms and the trail of poisoned fare. But ultimately, long hours of dogged pursuit yielded a resolution to her venomous vendetta. In 1868, Europe was on the brink of scientific advancement yet teetered amidst old-world vulnerabilities. Historical dichotomies were stark as trust and treachery collided in what was perceived to be sanctified environments. This episode invites you to journey into the darkness of trust abused wherein chilling bedside conduct reveals much about the era's healthcare dynamics. Listen for riveting reconstructions and forensic voice as we examine deeper into what drove her to such unforgivable deeds. --- Support Foul Play: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/foulplaypodcast Website: https://www.mythsandmalice.com/show/foul-play/ Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/foul-play-crime-series/id1525832703 Follow us: Instagram: @foulplaycrimeseries Twitter: @foulplaypod

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Transcript

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0:00.0	On a warm June afternoon in 1868, at the Pinchion des Ozanese boarding house, in
0:12.0	Geneva's Plainpaulay district, 24-year-old Marie Catherine Fretz accepted a glass of lemonade
0:19.0	from her new friend.
0:21.5	The woman who handed her the glass was a nurse named Marie Gina Rae.
0:26.7	Within moments, Fred Zess's world dissolved into terrifying hallucinations.
0:33.0	Her pupils dilated grotesquely.
0:36.2	Her heart pounded so violently she could feel it against her ribs.
0:40.3	Delirium seized her mind and reality warped into nightmare. The room tilted and spun.
0:49.3	Faces became distorted. She couldn't tell what was real. The doctor summoned to her bedside,
0:57.0	took one look at those grotesquely dilated pupils, and the violent tremors wracking her body,
1:04.0	and recognized the symptoms immediately. Beladonna poisoning. More crucially, he suspected foul play.
1:14.3	His decision to run to the cantonal hospital saved her life.
1:19.8	And it broke open a case that would expose one of Switzerland's most prolific serial killers. That glass of lemonade ended everything.
1:31.3	But the story that would emerge was far more disturbing than anyone imagined.
1:36.3	Marie Gina Rae had poisoned at least six people to death, and attempted to murder perhaps 30 more.
1:45.3	She had no comprehensible motive, no greed, no jealousy, no escape from unhappy circumstances.
1:53.3	She killed, it seemed, because she found beauty in watching people suffer.
1:59.2	Hello, friend. I'm Shane Waters.
2:02.6	This is foul play, and this is the case of Marie Juni Re,
2:07.6	the poisoner who abolished death.
2:11.6	Between 1865 and 1868,
2:15.6	in the respectable boarding houses and private hospitals of Geneva, a nurse moved from
	...

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