French serial killer who murdered at least ten women between 1915-1919 after proposing marriage and cheating them of property and money. He shot, stabbed, dismembered, buried or burned his victims.
Landru was the son of a furnace stoker at an ironworks and a mother who worked at home as a dressmaker. He was clever in school, earning praise from his teachers. Catholic, he served as an altar boy and a subdeacon. On 15 November 1890, he served in the army. His vocation was work for an architect.
On 4 June 1891, he fathered a child by Marie Catherine, the daughter of his cousin and two years later, on 7 October 1893, married her. They had three more kids.
Landru was convicted of fraud perpetrated in 1900, 1901 and 1903, and again in 1906, sentenced to two years prison 19 May 1906. His mother died on 12 March 1912 and his father committed suicide on 28 August 1912, hanging himself from a tree, disgraced to find that his son had been in prison.
No.1. In December 1914, Landru met Mme Jeanne Cuchet, whom he murdered, along with her 17-year-old son Andre in April or May 1915.
No. 2. On 25 June 1915, he killed Therese Laborde-Line, 47.
No 3. On 2 August 1915, his victim was Mme Guillin, 51.
No 4 and 5. On 8 December 1915, his victim was Mme. Heon, 55 and the same month, Mme. Couillet, whom he had met in May.
No. 6. On 26 December 1915, his victim was Mme Anna Collumb, 44.
No. 7. In February 1917 he met Andrée Babelay, 19, the only woman without financial substance, and killed her on 12 April 1917.
No. 8. He had first written to Mmr. Celestine Buisson, 44, whom he killed on 1 September 1917.
No. 9. He wrote to Mme. Louise Jaume, 28, in March 1917 and killed her on 24 November 1917.
No.10. On 13 January 1919, he killed Mme. Marie Therese Marchadier, a brothel keeper.
The modern Bluebeard was arrested on 13 April 1919 in Paris, and went to trial on 7 November 1921. During the trial his manner was calm, genteel and unctuous. He appeared respectable with a short, neat beard and a dignified demeanor; his repartee was quick. He stated that he had had sexual relations with 283 women. Landru was found guilty of 11 murders, ten women and a youth. He was sent to the guillotine on 25 February 1922 at 6:10 AM in Versailles, France.
Link to Wikipedia biography