Meet Adrianne Baum, Charles Cullen’s Ex-Wife

What puts Adrianne Baum’s name at the center is not what she ever did herself but the heinous crimes that her ex-husband, Charles Cullen, committed. Known as one of America’s most notorious serial killers, Cullen earned himself the chilling moniker “angel of death” from his killing spree.

And through the notorious actions of her husband, Baum became unwittingly hooked in a tragedy tale of blood, forever linked to a story of immense tragedy. Baum managed to break out of his shadow when she chose to protect herself and her daughters from any more harm and the extreme publicity over his crimes. This is a look into her life, her encounter with danger, and the quiet life she leads today.

Early Life and Marriage to Charles Cullen

Adrianne Baum met Charles Cullen in the 1980s. They had their first daughter in the same year they got married, which was 1987. Baum’s life seemed very ordinary, except that it didn’t take many years before disturbing signs began revealing themselves.

A few years into the marriage, Cullen’s behavior became increasingly odd, something Baum could hardly ignore. During that time, Baum reports have records of scary behavior by Cullen like animal abuse, as well as some random behavior of spiking someone’s drinks with lighter fluid and burning his daughter’s books.

In 1993, Baum sought a restraining order against Cullen following this vile act in fear for her life and that of her children. They divorced in the same year setting Baum on the campaign for the protection of her family from Cullen’s further and concealed violence.

Charles Cullen’s Trail of Death

While Baum broke free from her husband’s control, Charles Cullen began working as a nurse with deadly activities. He first worked at Saint Barnabas Hospital, and he murdered his first confirmed victim in 1988 by giving him a lethal overdose. During the period of his career, he killed many people through lethal overdoses, majorly elderly and frail patients in hospitals and old age homes throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Cullen’s behavior was left unaddressed in large part because of systemic failings in healthcare. Hospitals at the time had relatively few protocols to report or track dangerous behaviors by staff, and the nationwide nursing shortage only worsened those deficiencies.

Cullen’s victims mushroomed, with some reports estimating hundreds. His chilling confessions reveal that he personally believed he was “helping” those he killed, though evidence suggests his motivations were much more complex and disturbing.

Adrianne Baum Life After Divorce

Immediately following her divorce from Cullen, Adrianne Baum shunned the public’s spotlight, keeping a relatively low profile to shield her two daughters from further observation by the public. Today, she remains secluded with a life dedicated to reviving a life far away from the notoriety of her past.

Certainly, her early escape likely saved their lives, though Cullen’s crimes cast a dark shadow over countless others. Today, Baum’s story survives as one of survival amidst unspeakable situations to show that walking away actually was the strongest and the most prescient move Baum could have made. Who knows? Someone else out there will learn lessons from her experiences or better yet, be inspired from her remarkable strength both as a mother, and most importantly, as a woman.