A French serial killer who murdered numerous women, mostly widows, during World War I, using his charisma to lure them into his trap. He was eventually guillotined for his crimes.
Henri Dsir Landru is infamous for being one of France's most prolific serial killers, earning him the nickname "The Bluebeard of Gambais". Between 1915 and 1919, he murdered at least seven women in the village of Gambais, and his true victim count is suspected to be significantly higher.
Born on April 12, 1869, in Paris, Landru was the son of a furnace stoker and a laundress, both ardent Catholics. He received his education from monks at a Catholic school on the ÃŽle Saint-Louis, where he also served as an altar boy.
Landru's killing spree began in December 1915, when he rented a house in Vernouillet, a town 35 kilometers northwest of Paris. He murdered at least three women and a young man during his stay there. He then moved to Gambais, where he continued his reign of terror, killing at least seven more women.
Landru's modus operandi was to target vulnerable women, often war widows or those who had lost loved ones in the war. He would charm them with false promises of love and marriage, eventually leading them to his homes, where he would murder them.
On April 12, 1919, Landru was arrested at an apartment near Paris's Gare du Nord, where he lived with his 24-year-old mistress, Fernande Segret. The police investigation revealed that Landru had been in romantic correspondence with 283 women during the First World War, with 72 of them never traced.
In November 1921, Landru's trial began at Versailles, attended by prominent French celebrities, including novelist Colette and actor Maurice Chevalier. Despite his protests of innocence, Landru was found guilty of all eleven murders and sentenced to death.
Henri Dsir Landru was executed by guillotine on February 25, 1922. His crimes sent shockwaves throughout France, earning him a notorious place in the country's criminal history.
Landru's story has inspired numerous books, films, and plays, cementing his legacy as one of the most infamous serial killers of the 20th century.
Henri Dsir Landru's notorious crimes continue to fascinate and horrify people to this day, serving as a chilling reminder of the darker aspects of human nature.
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