Serial Killer from the Land of Lovers-Part 3

Blue Beard: Serial Killer from the Land of Lovers-Part 3

   It was disclosed during the trial the Henri Desire Landru had been convicted seven times for fraud. He had a lot of different jobs but never had any stable occupation. He had also worked as a sub deacon in a religious establishment. His father was afireman and settled at Dordogne after his mother’s death. He came to see his son in Paris and found that he was in prison. He was so upset that he committed suicide in Bois de Boulogne. The young daughter of Landru’s cousin became his mistress and a girl was born to them in 1891. Landru later married her and he had 4 children.

   When the court asked him about the names of so many women appearing in his note book, he replied, “It is the list of a businessman, who entered the names of his clients with whom he did business.” He claimed that he bought the furniture of these women to help them during the war and intended to sell it back to them after Germans had been driven out of France.

   Lot of relatives of the women who had disappeared came forward to testify that they had last seen these women in Landru’s company. Many witness said they saw dense smoke coming out of the chimneys of Landru’s house at Gambais and Vernouillet. The smoke was very foul smelling. Actually, a neighbor complained about it and the police came to the house to enquire. Henry Desire Landru assured the police that he was burning refuse and garbage. As the police was busy in more important matters due to was, they dropped the matter, and were satisfied with his explanation. Some fishermen recovered some pieces of human flesh from a lake near Gambais.

   One witness who attracted attention was a 29 years’ old pretty and young woman who was seen with Landru on Rue de Rivoil. Her name was Fernande Segret and was fortunate to escape from the clutches of Landru because of his arrest. She had become engaged to him inspite of her mother’s objections. Her mother thought Landru to be an imposter and adventurer. She was in love with him and went to live with him as a mistress. She went to Gambais seven or eight times. She found that the villa was not well furnished. Henry Desire Landru told her that the garage brought him good income but she found that there was only one apprentice working there. She also told the court that she quarreled with Landru twice. Once a letter came to him under a different name; at another time, Landru flew into a rage as she tried to look into some papers in their flat at Rue de Rochechouart. Fernande Segret thought it to be strange as Landru insisted on reading all her letters. She replied in a affirmative when the court asked her if his sexual behavior was normal but she added that he was very passionate. The Judge was trying to find out if he was a sadist and pervert. The medical evidence said that he was a dangerous psychopath though fully aware of his actions.

   The prosecution counsel demanded that Henry Desire Landru be sentenced to death, on the basis of evidence and documents produced before the court. Why the law should be lenient to him when he did not show any pity for his victims, he argued. The Jury found Landru guilty and he was sentenced to death by guillotine. He refused to make confession to any priest or hear Mass. He also refused the offer of a glass of rum and a cigarette usually made to condemned prisoners. He was guillotined publicly.

   Sixty years later a film “Landru” was made. The script was written by the best-selling novelist Francoise Sagan.

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