Portugal: The Foundling Wheel Killer (1772)

In the olive groves of 18th-century Portugal, a caretaker discovered a shallow grave containing an infant's body with

Episode 4 of 15 | Season 36: Serial Killers in History

The investigation into Luísa de Jesus begins, revealing a systematic pattern of infant murders that would expose fatal flaws in Portugal's child welfare system and lead to her execution as the nation's first documented female serial killer.

The Victims: Portugal's Abandoned Infants

In 1772, desperate poverty gripped Portugal under King Joseph I's reign. Across Coimbra, destitute mothers with no means to feed their newborns turned to the Casa da Rota—the foundling wheel system—hoping charitable institutions would save their babies' lives. These infants, called "expostos" or "exposed ones," were placed anonymously in rotating wooden cylinders built into orphanage walls. A bell would ring, alerting caretakers inside that another abandoned child needed their care. The system was born of compassion, designed to prevent infanticide by offering mothers a safe alternative. For each child taken in, caregivers received a modest stipend of 600 réis, a cradle, and cloth—enough support to raise an infant in theory. In practice, hundreds of babies overwhelmed Coimbra's understaffed facilities each year. These were Portugal's most vulnerable citizens: newborns abandoned by mothers with no other choice, babies born into poverty or out of wedlock, innocent lives dependent on a system that promised protection but delivered catastrophic negligence.

Why This Case Changed Portugal Forever

The case of Luísa de Jesus represents a devastating failure of 18th-century child welfare institutions and a pivotal moment in Portuguese legal history. Her systematic exploitation of the foundling wheel exposed how easily vulnerable populations could be preyed upon when oversight mechanisms collapsed. The discovery of 33 murdered infants shocked a nation and forced Portugal to confront uncomfortable truths about how it protected—or failed to protect—its abandoned children. This case directly led to sweeping reforms of Portugal's child welfare system, including the landmark 1783 decree by Queen Maria I mandating that all towns establish properly supervised foundling hospitals. Luísa's execution on July 1, 1772, made her the last woman ever executed in Portugal, cementing her place in both criminal and legal history. The case remains a stark reminder that society's most vulnerable members require active protection, not passive charity, and that systematic failures create opportunities for monsters to operate in plain sight.

The Investigation and Discovery

On the morning of April 1, 1772, Angelica Maria, a caretaker from Coimbra's foundling home, walked through olive groves at Monte Arroio when she discovered recently disturbed earth. Kneeling to investigate, she unearthed the shallow grave of an infant with strangulation marks still visible around its delicate neck. Authorities quickly traced the dead child back to Luísa de Jesus, a 23-year-old delivery worker who had officially "adopted" the baby just days earlier.

When interrogated on April 6, Luísa coldly confessed to murdering three infants. But investigators suspected far worse. A search of her modest home in Figueira de Lorvão revealed a makeshift graveyard—eighteen tiny bodies buried beneath the floor and hidden in corners. Some had been dismembered, their remains stored in clay pots under straw. Excavations at Monte Arroio uncovered thirteen more infant corpses, bringing the confirmed death toll to 33 babies.

Records showed Luísa had officially adopted 34 children from Coimbra's foundling wheel over several years, collecting the 600 réis stipend for each. She had provided false addresses and fictitious adopting families, exploiting a system with virtually no follow-up procedures. The foundling wheel workers, Margarida Joaquina and Leocádia Maria da Conceição, were arrested for criminal negligence—they had handed over dozens of infants without verifying the children's destinations. Both were released in October 1772 after public shaming, their careers destroyed but lives spared.

Luísa confessed to 28 murders but was convicted on all 33 counts. On July 1, 1772, she faced one of the most brutal executions in Portuguese history. Bound with rope, she was paraded through Coimbra's streets while a magistrate proclaimed her crimes to horrified crowds. Red-hot tongs burned her flesh before her hands were severed. She died by garrote, and her body was burned to ashes, scattered so "there will never be a memory of such a Monster again." She was 23 years old.

Historical Context and the Foundling Wheel System

Eighteenth-century Portugal's relationship with child abandonment was both pragmatic and tragic. The foundling wheel system spread across Catholic Europe as a response to rampant infanticide—desperate mothers who couldn't feed their babies often killed them rather than watch them starve. The wheels offered anonymous surrender, a compassionate alternative that saved some lives while creating new vulnerabilities.

Portugal's wheels operated with minimal oversight. Caregivers like Luísa collected stipends with no requirement to prove the children survived. Hundreds of babies entered the system annually in cities like Coimbra, far exceeding institutional capacity. Mortality rates were already catastrophic—historians estimate half of all foundlings died within their first year from disease, malnutrition, or neglect, even in legitimate placements.

This case draws from multiple historical sources: court records preserved in Coimbra's archives document Luísa's confession and trial proceedings. Period newspapers reported the shocking discovery and subsequent execution with sensational detail. Modern historian Maria Antónia Lopes's research into Portuguese foundling systems provides crucial context for understanding how systematic failures enabled Luísa's crimes. The Casa dos Expostos of Coimbra's administrative records reveal the staggering volume of abandoned infants and the minimal verification procedures that allowed Luísa to operate undetected for years. Her case remains a foundational study in Portuguese criminology and child welfare history.

Resources & Further Reading

For those interested in learning more about 18th-century Portuguese child welfare and the foundling wheel system:

• The National Archives of Portugal house complete trial records and court documents from the 1772 case
• Maria Antónia Lopes's scholarly work on Portuguese foundling systems and historical child welfare practices
• The Santa Casa de Misericórdia museums in Coimbra and Lisbon maintain exhibits on foundling wheel history and social welfare institutions
• "Baby Hatch" historical research documenting foundling wheels across Catholic Europe from medieval times through the 19th century

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