Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - "The Bluebeard of Gambais" Henri Désiré Landru Pt. 2

Episode Date: March 3, 2022

After years of charming women into getting engaged to him, Henri Désiré Landru had perfected his system of making his fiances, and all of their wealth, disappear. But when the sisters of two of his victims catch on to his ploy, they threaten the whole complex process. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Due to the graphic nature of this killer's crimes, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions of violence, murder, and animal abuse and death. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. In early 1919, 50-year-old Henri Desireé L'Hen-Dé-Landreau stood in his backyard in Gambie, France. The winter freeze was just beginning to thaw, and he watched as snow dripped from the trees. At his feet, three dogs gazed up at him. They were still getting used to the strange man. Plus, they missed their owner,

37-year-old Marie-Turreys Marchetier, who they hadn't seen for a few days. They whined for her, but Henri knew something the dogs didn't. Marie-Tor-Aze was never coming back. Henri squatted down and reached out his hand. One curious dog stepped forward to sniff. Henri let the animals smell him,

watching it become at ease with his. descent. Finally, the dog relaxed and lipped the tips of Henri's fingers. Henri could see that the animal was starting to trust him. Now was his moment. In one quick motion, Henri wrapped his fingers around the dog's neck. It panicked trying to back away from him, but it couldn't escape Henri's grip. Henri watched the helpless animal as he squeezed. After a few moments, the dog went slack in his hands. The other two dogs barked. at Henri, he leaned down and stretched out his hand as a peace offering. Henri was more than happy to comfort them for a short while.

After all, they were next. Hi, I'm Greg Poulson. This is Serial Killers, a Spotify original from Parcast. Every episode, we dive into the minds and madness of serial killers. Today, we'll continue our exploration of Henri Desiree Landreux, a scammer who lured lonely women to their deaths. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone.

You can find episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. Last time, we explored Henri's journey from Catholic subdeacon to power-hungry con artist who prayed on lonely women. By the spring of 1917, six victims had visited Henri in the French countryside. Never to return. Today, we'll uncover more of Henri's abductions, follow an amateur. investigation led by his victim's families and explore one of the most famous murder trials in France's history. We've got all that and more coming up. Stay with us. This episode is brought to you by Shopify. Bonnie and Clyde, the lonely hearts killers, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. These are

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And let's be honest. Something that keeps everything looking smooth. That's where Vanity Fair lingerie comes in. Their new smoothing wireless bra has four-way stretch fabric for all over smoothing, soft lightly lined cups for a natural shape, and no wire comfort that lasts all day. All over smooth, all-day comfort, vanity fair lingerie. Find yours at Target today. By 1917, 48-year-old Henri Land Drew had perfected his system for meeting women and luring them into his deadly scheme. The first part, meeting them was easy. He flirted with them on the Paris Metro and posted ads in the Lonely Hearts section of the newspaper. Once he'd made contact, he charmed his way into their lives, acting like the perfect boyfriend, all the while lying about his true identity.

Not long into these relationships, Henri would propose. After that, he would convince his bride to be to sign all of her assets over to him. Bank accounts, bonds, furniture, anything of value. Once that was done, when he had no more use for the women, he'd buy them a one-way ticket to the village of Gombe, where he kept a home called Vila Treek. There, Henri would kill his fiancés. We aren't sure how he murdered them, or exactly what he did with the body.

bodies. But when women went with Henri to Villatriek, they rarely returned. Interestingly, not all of the women that Henri targeted were wealthy, so it's likely that he had more sadistic motives for his sick game than just money. And it's possible this motivation stemmed from a surprising place, his Catholic upbringing in a heavily patriarchal society. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode. Please note, Vanessa's not a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist, but we have done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. According to historians of French women's studies, in the late 1800s, French legal and political systems

were heavily influenced by Catholicism. The French Catholic Church favored traditional and patriarchal values, where a woman's best quality was her obedience. Born in 1869, Henri was surrounded by this influence, both spiritually and literate. as he grew up in a Catholic household right next to the cathedral of Notre Dame. A 1999 essay by legal professor Mary Becker pointed out that patriarchal societies are built around the success of men. The result of this is that both men and women are encouraged to regard women as objects used to fulfill male needs. When Henri looked at women, he didn't see equals.

He only saw what he could take from them. sex, money, and power. This is not to say that all Catholics are inherently sexist or dangerous to women. And according to Becker's analysis, men are also harmed by patriarchy and deal with tremendous societal pressures. As we established in our last episode, Henri might have lived with an undiagnosed personality disorder. He had tendencies that made him aggressive, self-serving, and apathetic towards others' feelings. Henri's sense of entitlement, combined with his patriarchal upbringing, made it easier for him to trick,

rob, and even kill women. He felt like it was his right as a man. More importantly, he enjoyed it. To him, it was a game of cat and mouse, and Henri loved the chase. That said, he often had so many women on its dance card that they started chasing him. In August of 1917, 47-year-old housekeeper, Celestineine, Buesong, had been waiting for months for Henri, who she knew as Georges Framier, to marry her. Confused by his delays and excuses, Celestine confessed to her sister Marie that her betrothed had taken control of over 3,000 francs from her savings. Marie was furious.

She always believed Henri had ulterior motives, because he seemed to be several social classes above her sister. But when she realized he had no money, Marie's suspicions only increased. Marie begged her sister to break off the engagement, but Celestine refused. For a week, the sisters were so angry that they didn't speak to each other. But it seemed likely that Celestine privately questioned Henri about their financial arrangement because towards the end of August he booked her a one-way ticket to Gombe. She was never seen again.

Shortly after, on August 24th, Henri returned to Paris to sell close to 2,000 francs worth of Celestine's bond. but he wasn't in the clear just yet. While many of Henri's fiancée's fiancée's disappeared without raising anyone's suspicions, he knew how closely Celestine's sister was watching him. To throw Marie off the scent, he started sending her postcards from Celestine and forging her signature.

Henri likely thought he was being clever, a criminal mastermind, but Marie knew immediately that someone else had signed her sister's name. She was sure it was Henri, but even still, she never considered that her sister was dead. Marie simply believed that Henri was working a con to steal more of her sister's money. When he realized she might be onto him, Henri made several attempts to speak with Marie.

He invited her to dinners, showed up at her work, and was generally a nuisance. But Marie wanted nothing to do with Henri, and her suspicion and stubbornness likely saved her life. After a while, Henri gave up on her. It seemed she wasn't a liability after all. Besides, he was extremely busy with his other conquests. One of them was an extremely religious 38-year-old named Louise Jaum. Henri first met her in spring of 1917, several months before Celestine disappeared. At first, he likely used his Catholic background to woo Louise.

When he proposed marriage just weeks later, she agreed. But to Henri's annoyance, Louise refused to sleep with him, until after they were married, Henri took her vow as a challenge. For the next several months, he showered Louise with attention and gifts. Considering the numerous schemes and women Henri was balancing at the time, this special effort is noteworthy. It seemed that getting Louise in bed was just as important to him, if not more so, than stealing her assets.

A 2019 study published in feminism and psychology found that men who seek out frequent casual sex often do so to validate their own masculinity. According to the study, men who follow advice from the male pickup artist community seem to believe that if the woman isn't interested, it's the duty of the man to work around her consent in whatever way possible. In another context, psychotherapist Adam Jukes calls this phallic narcissism and relates it to a number of abusive tendencies men have towards women, from emotional neglect to physical abuse. These men believe the role of a man is to be tough, proud, and sexual.

The need to feel masculine was especially important to Henri, who had narcissistic traits. To him, masculinity was probably synonymous with success, and Henri had been determined to succeed his entire life. So when Louise refused to have sex with him, Henri decided he would stop at nothing to get her into bed. On November 19th, 1917, he got his wish. After weeks of manipulation, flattery, and deceit, Louise relented, and they slept together. Once again, Henri proved to himself that he could get whatever he wanted from a woman,

her money, her body, even her life. A few days later, Henri walked Louise to the famous church, Sacre Cour, for Mass. Then he bought her a one-way ticket to Gambi, from where she never returned. She wasn't the first of Henri's victims, and she certainly wouldn't be his last. Coming up, two suspicious sisters try to bring Henri to justice. I'm Sarah Turney, host of Disappearances, a Spotify original from Parkast. In 2020, I used social media to help bring justice to my sister Alyssa's nearly two decades-long disappearance. Now, I'm exploring the many reasons people disappear.

finding that the truth may be even harder to locate than the person. Who forced a famed explorer to lose his way? What did a missing Hollywood starlet leave behind? And how could the heiress to a Chicago candy fortune just vanish? Every Thursday on Disappearances, join me for a deeper look into history's most gripping missing persons cases. Tracking timelines, analyzing clues, and piecing together as many of the people. any answers as possible to find the actual truth.

Follow the Spotify original from Parcast Disappearances. Listen free only on Spotify. Snoring, gasping during sleep, feeling fatigued, ask your doctor about Zepbound, terseptite, the first and only FDA-approved prescription medicine for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and adults with obesity. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea, OSA, and obesity to improve their OSA. Zepbound is approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5, or 15 milligram injection. Zetbound contains

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Talk to your doctor. Call 1-800-545-99 or visit Zepbound.lily.com. Now back to the story. By December of 1917, 48-year-old Henri Landreux had lured eight people to their death, and he had no plans to slow down. And because he always had irons in the fire, he was never far off his next kill. He'd met Annette Pascal in September of 1916. She was a poor divorce dressmaker, and she fell quickly for the mysterious, confident entrepreneur.

Henri promised to marry her so she would trust him with her meager finances, but their engagement proved to be more of a hassle than he preferred. Annette had other suitors of her own, so her attention was split between Henri and several other men. What's more, her niece Marie Jeanne lived with her. Henri, who Annette knew as Lucian Forrest, didn't like feeling that the girl was watching him whenever he visited. Because of all this, Henri dragged his heels in the relationship. He seemed to make it clear that Annette wouldn't get his full attention until he had hers. So, in January of 1918, Annette set Marie Jean to deliver a letter to Henri's apartment.

But when the girl asked the concierge for Lucian Forrest, he told her that no one by that name lived in the building. There was, however, a Lucien Guillae. Convinced there must be an explanation for the different name, Marie Jeanne walked up to Lucien Guillae's unit. She was about to knock on the door, but something stopped her. She had a bad feeling about what was inside, so she just slipped the letter underneath the door and hurried home. If Marie Jeanne told her aunt about Lucian's fake last name,

the news didn't face her. Annette wanted to marry Henri so badly that she was willing to look past anything. This type of thinking could be attributed to the idea of confirmation bias, which is when someone only understands information in a way that confirms their existing hopes and beliefs. According to a 2018 article by Relationship Counselors Linda and Charlie Bloom, people tend to view their partners in a way that validates what they want to believe about them. Once they've decided who their partner is, based on first impressions, they're likely to stick

to this perspective. Annette, and likely several of Henri's other fiancés, wanted a rich, charismatic husband, and Henri played right into this desire, feeding into the confirmation bias. He played the part so well that when faced with red flags, like a false name, Annette hardly registered the lie.

Her only concern was getting Henri back. She prayed her letter would do just that. In her letter, by the way, Annette had promised to send Marie Jean away if Henri agreed to marry her. It was exactly what the con man wanted to hear. A few days later, he came to visit her and finally committed to a date for their wedding.

Overjoyed at the development, Annette started packing so they could begin their life together. She didn't really want to live in the country, but Villa Trique was far safer than living in Paris, which was facing air raids due to the ongoing World War I. Plus, it meant she would finally have Henri all to herself. Of course, Henri had other ideas. He didn't know who dropped Annette's letter off at his apartment,

but whoever did knew he was using two names. It was clearly time to move on. He knew he had to cash in on what little Annette had, then get rid of her for good. But he had to move slowly. Annette was close with her family, and they wrote to each other constantly. Three months later, in April of 1918,

Henri helped Annette pack up the rest of her things. While he carried her suitcase, she picked up her cat and the two set off for Gombe. The day after her arrival, Annette wrote to her family, telling them how happy she was in the countryside with Henri. It was the last letter she ever sent them. Annette disappeared the same day that she wrote to her family. Henri marked a time in his notebook, 515. Given what we know about his crimes, it seems likely that this was the time he finally killed her. Shortly afterwards, Henri carried Annette's cat out into his expansive backyard,

which had plenty of privacy from the neighbors. There, he strangled the animal to death, destroying any trace of his tenth victim. As for the disposal of the bodies, Henri's villa contained a tiny oven. As we mentioned last time, passers-by sometimes saw and smelled foul smoke coming from Henri's chimney. Although the oven was far too small for an entire huge. human body, Henri was a resourceful man, as he once remarked to some guests during a visit, everything burned in that oven. Richard Tomlinson, author of Laundrews' secret, suggested that Henri caught up his victim's bodies

and burned them, one limb at a time. Then, Henri would scatter the ashes outside. In 1916, two witnesses had seen Henri in the woods late at night, throwing luggage into a pond and digging holes. Tomlinson, believe these people had seen Henri getting rid of human remains and other incriminating evidence. Despite these witnesses, Henri was confident that nobody would discover him. For one, nobody knew his real name, besides his wife and kids. And he knew Marie-Catrine and the children would never turn on him. In fact, they even helped him pull off some of his schemes. One son often helped Henri pack up furniture from his many fiancé's houses right before they disappeared. A daughter dropped

off flowers and a letter with a forged signature to the victim's family. While it seems that the Laundrew children were kept in the dark about the purpose behind their tasks, Marie-Catrain knew that her husband was a con man. She once pretended to be Celestine Buissin to withdraw the woman's savings, and also posed as Louis-Jean at a bank for the same reason. Still, it's unlikely that anyone besides Henri knew the true extent of his treachery. He was far too manipulative to trust his wife with the entire of his plans, it seems that he told Marie Katrine that his were only non-violent crimes.

Along with his family's unwitting assistance, Unri also relied on the chaos of World War I to give him cover. People were moving out of Paris by the hundreds, fleeing to escape the constant air raids. When Henri claimed a woman broke things off and moved to another country, no one had any reason to doubt him. It was what so many people were doing. That said, while none of the women had been reported missing, they were far from forgotten. In December of 1916, 44-year-old Anna Colom vanished. At first, her family believed she'd just run off with her good-for-nothing fiancé, Georges Framier.

To be clear, Georges Framier was Henri, and he wasn't popular with Anna's family, not since they found out how much money he'd borrowed from her. They also didn't like that he seemed to change his name. he sometimes went by Georges Coucher, concerned they confronted Anna and tried to get her to leave him. She wouldn't do it. That Christmas, though, Anna told her family that she was scared. Henri had taken her money, she said. More afraid than ever, her loved ones tried to talk her out of going to Villatrique,

but she insisted that she had to go. But she'd visit them in Paris soon, she promised. Then she left for Gombe, and never returned. A month later, in January of 1917, Anna's parents received a basket of flowers from southern France. Anna's card slipped inside. Her sister Victorine could tell the signature was faked, and it raised a red flag for her. The family went to the police, who didn't manage to find Anna or her mysterious fiancé. Her father gave up after a few months.

But Victorine was determined to find out what happened to her sister. Victorine went through all of the correspondence she received from Anna over the past two years. She found a postcard Anna had sent from an earlier visit to Gombe, and it included a map on which Anna had marked the house she was staying in with an X. Based on when Anna had disappeared, Victorine realized her sister was likely in Gombee when she vanished. The postcard suddenly seemed like a treasure map. Victorine was determined to find answers.

In September of 1917, she wrote to the mayor of Gambi. She told him her sister went missing while staying at a house in his town and included the postcard to show him which one. She also suggested that the house belonged to a man named either Fremier or Coucher. She wanted the mayor's help, she said. Unfortunately, the elected official ignored the plea, and the one Victorine wrote the following month. In late October, the distraught woman sent a third,

much angrier letter. Finally, the mayor's secretary wrote back to say that there was no one in Gambi by the name of Framier or Coucher. What they neglected to mention was that they knew exactly what House Victorine was talking about. As far as they knew, a man named Raul DuPont lived there. However, the mayor believed that DuPont had a right to his privacy, so he kept that information to himself.

And just like that, Victorine's investigation stalled. By November of 1917, she was back at Square One. Discouraged, she took a break. Thankfully, Victorine wasn't the only concerned sibling looking for answers. Marie Lacoste had always hated her sister Celestine's fiancé, Georges Framier. For over a year, she thought her sister was ignoring her, but a message from her nephew changed all that.

In December of 1918, Marie received another letter from Celestine's blind son. He'd suffered another accident and tried writing to his mother, but she never answered. He implored Marie to track her down for him. This shocked all of the resentment right out of Marie. She knew Celestine would never ignore her son. She walked immediately to her sister's apartment looking for answers. But when she arrived and questioned the concierge, he told her he hadn't seen Celestine in over a year. He had, however, seen Celestine's fiancée bring at least.

one other woman into the apartment, before he paid off the lease and got rid of Celestine's furniture. That was when it suddenly dawned on Marie. Her sister was likely dead, and all of those times Henri had tried to invite her to dinner, her own life had been in danger. But the sudden realization made Marie more angry than frightened. Even though she hadn't heard from her sister's fiancé in some time, she was sure she could track him down. Just like Victorine, Marie compiled all the information she had on Henri, his suspicious interactions with Celestine and herself, his addresses, his appearance, anything she could think of. After gathering as much evidence as possible, she too reached out to the mayor of Gambi

in January of 1919. She wrote that she believed her sister was dead and asked if he could check whether she had been buried in the town cemetery. She also included a description of her sister's kidnapper, who she knew by the name of Georges Framier. Though the mayor was surprised to receive another letter about a missing sister, he chose not to reply himself. He had his secretary write back instead. They wrote that no one named Celestine Bueson was buried in Gambi, and that no one by the name of Framier lived there either.

However, this wasn't the whole truth. Because the mayor had realized the description of Framier matched the man staying at Biela Trich, who he knew as Raoul Dupon. But the mayor wanted to protect the man's privacy, so he stopped short of telling Marie everything. Still, he must have recognized that this was a troubling pattern because he added an extra piece of information. Before he sent his letter, the mayor attached Victorine's address and told Marie that they shared a similar story. If they wanted to compare notes, they could. But he would not disturb the man in Belatrique, whether his name was DuPaul, Bramier, or Coucher.

Thanks to the mayor's protection, Henri continued his evil ways. But by the fall of 1918, the 49-year-old was facing another problem. Somehow, he was losing money on his murderous cons. He was in a financial crisis. It got so bad that he couldn't afford to pay sex worker Marie-Torres-Marie's Marchadier for her services. Backed into a corner, Henri promised to marry 37-year-old Marie-Torres. He convinced her. that what he couldn't provide in cash he could make up for with a secure married life.

As soon as she said yes, he bought her a one-way ticket to Gombe. By the end of January, Henri had killed Marie Torres and sold all of her assets. He also strangled the three dogs she brought with her to Vila Trek. Just like all of his other victims, Henri made sure to tie up the loose ends quite neatly. But despite this effort to cover his tracks, Marie Terese would be able to be. be his last victim. In February 1919, Victorine and Marie met to discuss their missing sisters and their fiancée's. After talking, they concluded that Jacques Framier, Jacques Coucher, and Raoul DuPont were all the same man. More importantly, they were more certain than ever that the man,

whatever is real name, was a murderer. Now they just needed to catch him. Coming up, the pieces finally fall into place and the net closes around Henri. Transport your senses with Sol de Janeiro's limited edition perfume mist collection. At Sephora, spritz on lush notes of rainforest orchid and crisp sea breeze with he fresco paraizzo. Embrace a floral and fruity scent inspired by Rio's nude beach with cheeky bikini or capture sun-kissed bliss with limonada gelada, where zesty Brazilian lemonade accord meets coconut milk and golden brown sugar.

Don't miss Sol de Janito's list. Limited edition perfume mist collection only at Sephora. This episode is brought to you by Prime. Obsession is in session. And this summer, Prime Originals have everything you want. Steamy romances, irresistible love stories, and the book-to-screen favorites you've already read twice. Off-campus, L, every year after,

The Love Hypothesis, Sterling Point, and more. Slow burns, second chances, chemistry you can feel through the screen. Your next obsession is waiting. Watch only on Prime. Now back to the story. In early 1919, rumors were swirling about Henri Desiree L'Andreux, even if no one knew his real name. But it took a few months for Victorine and Marie's concerns

to reach Inspector Jules Belin with the Paris Police. At that point, in March of 1919, they only knew Henri's aliases, and that he likely killed each of their sisters. Belin received the dossiers prepared by the women, promising a full-fledged investigation into the mysterious man. However, it seems like Belin himself did very little. His official report was a near exact copy of Marie and Victorine's detective work. Still, he kept an eye on Henri's country home, Villalitriek, waiting for him to come back.

But for weeks, there was no sign of him. That's likely because Henri was living it up in Paris. He continued to date and was likely preparing to claim his next victim. He had no idea that anyone was on his trail, or he might have been more careful about showing his face around town. As it was, even Paris wasn't big enough to hide in for someone with as many lives as Henri. On April 11th, Lor Bonnour, a friend of Marie Lacost, spotted Henri in a store. She watched him give his business card to the clerk for a home delivery and then walk out. Knowing that he might have killed her friend's sister,

Lorne followed Henri out of the building and onto a bus. She planned to track him all the way home, but at one point, Henri glanced over at her and their eyes locked. A jolt of fear ran through Lorne under Henri's gaze, and she jumped off the bus at the next stop. Breathless, she ran to where Marie was staying and told her what had happened. Marie then phoned Inspector Bellin to tell him the news. Her sister's killer was in Paris.

They finally had a new lead. Dutifully, Belin visited the store where Lore had seen Henri and asked the clerk for the business card. Unsurprisingly, it bore yet another of Henri's fake names, Lucian Gieyei. But it also had an address. Within a day, Belin had an arrest warrant for the elusive criminal. On April 12th, he and two other detectives arrived at Henri's apartment, where they found their suspect entertaining a young girlfriend, seeing the police on his doorstep, Henri shut down.

He refused to show them his identity papers and kept tight-lipped. While Belene escorted him to the police station, a team of detectives stayed behind to search the apartment. Over a number of weeks, investigators tracked down all of the apartments, garages, and storage lockers Henri had rented. Their careful search eventually allowed them to find all of the conman's false IDs, from Henri Landreux to Georges Framier. Back at the station, a quick frisk revealed Henri's black notebook, which he evidently carried with him at all times.

In it were details of all the apartments and storage units he rented, hidden bank accounts, and his whereabouts for nearly every day since 1915. But there was one list that particularly interested the detectives. It contained 11 names written in neat letters, and both Marie and Victorine's missing sisters, were on the page. If their suspicions were correct, it seemed like Henri had carefully kept track

of the people he killed. With that in mind, the investigation shifted to a search for bodies. However, gathering evidence proved difficult, as Henri lived and operated from many different locations in and around Paris, and held many incriminating documents in storage depots. But gradually, detectives found files

on all of the women Henri was in contact with. The records suggested that since 1914, Henri had made contact with 283 romantic partners. Investigators made no effort to follow up with the hundreds of women, finding the 11 people from his notebook was proving hard enough. Still, they kept digging and eventually realized that seven of the apparent victims had gone missing while staying at Villatrique in Gambi. So they went to Henri's country home to investigate. Though Inspector Belin boasted to newspapers that the investigation would be wrapped up quickly, Henri had left almost no evidence behind. No bodies, no blood, no weapons.

But the team didn't give up. And after scouring the property, they finally found a small amount of ashes mixed in with a pile of leaves in the backyard. In the ashes were tiny fragments of burnt human bones. However, experts couldn't say when the bones were burnt human bones. or who they once belonged to. Meanwhile, in Paris, Henri was exposed as a conman. It was a difficult charge to deny, considering the overwhelming evidence they had against him.

But he passionately declared that he was no murderer, even as he refused to say what happened to the 11 missing people. By this stage, everyone was convinced that Henri Landrieu was a murderer many times over, but that wasn't enough. Without his victim's bodies, Henri could still evade. justice. Meanwhile, the story made for some enticing headlines. A man accused of killing 11 people seemed too horrible to be true, and yet, too intriguing to ignore. Before long, Henri Desiree-Landreux was the center of Parisian gossip. Surprisingly, this popularity did him some good. The case caught

the attention of one of the most famous defense lawyers in France, who happily agreed to represent Henri, though it would be a while before he got his day. in court. When the trial finally started in November of 1921, over two years after his arrest, the courtroom was packed with spectators. Even celebrities showed up to catch a glimpse of the evil blue beard of Gambi. And he didn't disappoint. With a bald head, thick pointed mustache and full beard, Henri swung his piercing gaze around

the room like a weapon. He shifted from stubbornly indignant to completely indifferent in a matter of moment. while his victim's sisters testified through tears, Henri took opportunities to be performative and playful with the courtroom. What's more, he often made jokes at the expense of his victims, mocking their naivety. Unfortunately, the prosecution, defense, and jury, all men, often laughed at or joined in the sexist behavior. Even when it came to interrogating witnesses, the lawyers teased some of the sex workers who volunteered to speak. In one case, a woman was apparently poised to be a fount of knowledge, but wasn't taken seriously

by the lawyers. She was out of the witness box after just a few minutes. Even without the blatant sexism, the prosecution had a hard case to sell. Their case was primarily built around the idea that Henri was motivated by money. It was easy for the defense to poke holes in this argument, since the killer had also seduced many relatively poor women. It didn't help that the timelines of some of the witness' testimony. testimonies didn't match up with when the 11 missing people disappeared. There were also reports of women seen in Gombie with Henri, who didn't match the descriptions of any of the suspected victims.

Additionally, several witnesses saw Henri burning objects that might have been bodies, but those sightings didn't correlate with any of the dates people had gone missing. What the prosecution failed to point out was that these accounts may not have related to the 11 known victims, but perhaps they were related to others that they didn't even know about. After all, Henri had been connected to 283 women. It's possible he killed more than just the ones included on his list. The trial continued for 23 days. The prosecution had plenty of circumstantial evidence, but nothing concrete.

Meanwhile, Henri contradicted himself on the stand, or otherwise refused to cooperate, and the crowd in the courtroom loved the spectacle. But spectacle or not, it all came to an end on November 30th. After hearing everything both sides had to offer, the jury retired to deliberate. And just three hours later, they came back with their answer. Henri Desiree Landreux was declared guilty on all 11 counts of murder, plus dozens of theft and fraud charges. With his guilt decided, his fate was sealed. Death. Arir lived in prison, Saint-Pierre,

Pierre for another two months before he was delivered to the prison gates of Versailles on February 25th, 1922. There he knelt under the guillotine. Seven seconds later, the blade came down and the bluebeard of Gombee was no more. In the aftermath of his execution, Unreys' legacy carried on in the most macabreys ways. From 1930 to 1940, his house was turned into a murder-themed restaurant. Then, decades later, Henri's head was apparently placed on display at a museum for a short time. The public remained fascinated by the story of this fairy tale monster come to life. They flock to see his head, to dine in the murder house. It's hard to fathom how people so quickly forgot the truth of Henri Londru's actual crimes.

At least 11 people died at his hands, but members of the public seemed eager to see the playful side of the story, to flirt with the danger of it all. over a plate of food and a glass of wine. Perhaps it was a side effect of Henri's crimes so closely resembling the tale of Bluebeard. It's not real, they probably thought. It's just a scary story. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers.

We'll be back soon with a brand new story. For more information on the Bluebeard of Gambi, amongst the many sources we used, we found Londru's secret, the deadly seductions of France's lonely hearts. Serial Killer by Richard Tomlinson, extremely helpful to our research. You can find more episodes of Serial Killers and all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify. We'll see you next time.

Have a killer week. Serial Killers is a Spotify original from Parcast. Executive producers include Max and Ron Cutler, sound designed by Brendan Hawkins, with production assistants by Ron Shapiro, Trent Williamson, Carly Madden, and Josh This episode of serial killers was written by Kit Fitzgerald, with writing assistance by Sarah Hussein and Joel Callan, fact-checking by Claire Cronin, and research by Brian Petrus and Chelsea Wood. Serial killers stars Greg Polson and Vanessa Richardson. Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is California's number one entertainment destination for today's superstars.

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