Henri Landru persuaded rich women to marry him. He took their money then killed them and disposed of the bodies. He was called Bluebeard because he was like a character in a French fairy tale.
Henri Landru was born in Paris on 12 April 1869. Like other murderers he had a history of crime before he turned to murder in 1915. He was sentenced to two years in prison for fraud in 1900. It was the first of many sentences.
Landru placed adverts in the ‘Lonely Hearts’ pages of a Paris newspaper using a false identity. Landru was completely dishonest and callous but he could also be charming.
After meeting a suitable rich woman Landru promised to marry her and persuaded her to give him her life savings and valuables. He then invited her to come to his villa in a village near Paris.
It’s not known how Landru killed his victims. He may have strangled them. It’s believed he dismembered the bodies and burned them in a stove. When women disappeared their families were naturally suspicious but they did not know Landru’s real name.
Landru’s first victims were a woman named Jeanne-Marie Cuchet in 1915 and her teenage son Andre in 1915. They were followed by nine others.
Landru’s downfall began when on or about 1 September 1917 Landru murdered a woman named Celestine Buisson having pocketed her savings. Landru went on to murder three more women. However in 1919 Madame Buisson’s sister saw Landru in Paris and recognised him. She followed him into a shop and heard him order a china dinner service to be delivered to his home. The sister informed the police.
From the shop they obtained the address where Landru was living (under a false name). When he was arrested Landru was found to be carrying a notebook which contained details about missing women.
The police searched Landru’s villa and found many fragments of bone and teeth among ashes. Witnesses said they had sometimes seen black smoke coming from his chimney. The police also found clothes and papers belonging to his victims. Landru went on trial on 21 November 1921. He was accused of the murder of 10 women and one teenage boy. On 30 November he was found guilty of 11 murders and he was sentenced to death.
Henri Landru was guillotined on 25 February 1922.
In 1947 Charlie Chaplin starred in a film called Monsieur Verdoux. It was inspired by the case of Henri Landru.
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