Blue Beard: Serial Killer from the Land of Lovers - Part 1
This is an extraordinary story of imitation, swindling, seduction and multiple murders form the land of lovers-France. He was known as “Blue Beard” because of his distinctive beard. He was supposed to have made love to 283 women and was charged for killing at least 10 (ten) of them. This killer, Henri Desire Landru, was known as by different names to his beloved and once boasted that no woman could spurn his amorous advances. France is reputed to be a country where love is a major occupation of its people, but has no tradition of killing beloveds. But, Henri Desire Landru was a lover cast in different moulds. He killed women after depriving them of their money and worldly possessions.
The French police was perplexed by the disappearance of many women. One Mrs. Pelat had reported about the disappearance of her sister Anna Colomb who went to live with Monsieur Cruchet at Gambas. Another woman, Mrs. Lacoste, was enquiring about her sister Mrs. Celestine Buisson who also vanished into thin air after visiting Villa Ermitage Gambais, to see M. Fremyet. The Mayor of Gambais made enquiries and found that the above villa was occupied by a M. Dupont. Meanwhile, the French police were also investigating another disappearance, that of a genuine Mrs. Cruchet and her son Andre who had gone to live with one M. Diard in his house at Vernouillet in December, 1914. From the clues provided, the police was satisfied that Cruchet, Fremyet, Dupont and Diard were one and the same person and issued a warrant on April 10, 1919, for the arrest of the individual whose identity tallied with these persons.
