Killer Stories with Harvey Guillén - “The Vampire of Düsseldorf” Peter Kürten Pt. 2

Episode Date: October 29, 2020

Throughout his shocking rampage that left dozens of people injured or dead, the newly dubbed “Vampire of Düsseldorf” Peter Kürten grew more and more confident — even writing into a local paper with the location of a victim’s body. But his confidence would be his undoing. 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 murder, sexual assault of minors, paraphilia, rape, and assault that some people may find offensive. We advise extreme caution for children under 13. On the night of May 14, 1930, 21-year-old Maria Budlick rode the train through Germany from Cologne to Dusseldorf. Considering the grisly crimes that had taken place over the past year, Maria was less than thrilled about the prospect of moving to Dusseldorf. Just a few weeks earlier, she had poured over an article about the man they called the vampire of Dusseldorf, relieved that she wasn't in his city.

But work was scarce, and she was desperate. So when a family offered her a position in their home, Maria couldn't say no. Maria stepped off the train and onto the Dusseldorf platform, and squinted at the signs telling her directions toward the city. She had booked a night in a women's hostel, but couldn't figure out how to get there. After noticing she was lost, a man approached and offered to lead the way. Maria was nervous about wandering Dusseldorf alone and lost, so she accepted his help. They made their way out of the station and towards town, chatting about Maria's recent journey.

The conversation must have been rather engrossing as the two failed to notice that a quiet, pale man lurked behind them, and he was ready to strike. 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're discussing Peter Curtin, the sadist otherwise known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf. I'm here with my co-host, Vanessa Richardson. Hi, everyone. You can find episodes of serial killers and all all other Spotify originals from Parcast for free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Last time, we discussed how Peter's traumatic childhood led him down a path of sadistic crimes,

including several murders. Today, we'll explore Peter's reign of terror over the city of Dusseldorf, where he attacked over 30 people in the course of a single year. 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 infamous criminal duels. But you don't need to break any laws to find your perfect business partner

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Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro. Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. As dusk fell on February 8th, 1929, 46-year-old Peter Curtin, prowled the bustling boulevards of Dusseldorf, searching for his next victim.

He stopped outside St. Vincent's Church and leaned against the stone wall. He watched as Rosa Olika, a young girl of about eight years old, sauntered towards him. Peter shot Rosa a friendly smile and asked where she was headed. Unfortunately, Rosa was unaware that it's often best to stay away from strangers and freely told him her address. Peter extended his hand and offered to take the eight-year-old. old home. As soon as they were alone on a deserted street, Peter seized Rosa by the throat and strangled her. Aroused by her death, Peter sexually assaulted her body. However, like so many times before, sexual abuse was not enough to satisfy him, for that he needed to see red. Peter pulled his

trusty pair of scissors from his coat pocket and repeatedly stabbed Rosa in the chest. He would later claimed that only when he saw the gushing blood did he finally reach sexual satisfaction. Peter stared down at Rosa's lifeless body and noticed that a small wound had formed on Rosa's temple where she hit the ground and it was starting to bleed. At the sight of the blood, Peter was seized by a sinister craving. He pressed his lips around the wound and sucked the blood from Rosa's skull. Peter derived a pleasurable sensation from the act, and like when he first killed a sheep as a teenager, it would change his life forever. Vanessa is going to take over on the psychology here and throughout the episode.

Please note, Vanessa is not a licensed psychologist or a psychiatrist, but she has done a lot of research for this show. Thanks, Greg. Peter's consistent sexual sadism can be considered a paraphylic disorder. This is an abnormal sexual sexual. desire that causes harm to others. According to the DSM-5, there are eight classifications of paraphylias and paraphylic disorders. Prior to drinking Rosa's blood, Peter fell firmly into the category of someone suffering from a sexual sadism paraphylic disorder, meaning that he derived sexual pleasure from hurting others. But now, Peter succumbed to an uncategorized paraphylic disorder known as hematillinia, or the sexual stimulation from blood. This is sometimes referred to as clinical vampirism or Renfield syndrome,

after the character from the novel Dracula. Of course, Peter would never know the name of his disorder. He only knew his taste for blood was more literal than ever before. He also suspected that the graphic nature of his crimes would provoke a serious police investigation, so he needed to tread carefully. Peter decided the best course of action would be to establish an alibi. So while his wife Augusta was out of the house, he returned home to inspect his clothes for bloodstains and clean his scissors.

Once he was presentable and weapon-free, he took himself to the movies. On his walk home from the cinema, Peter thought it might be a good idea to burn Rosa's body. Not only would this destroy any lingering evidence, it would also increase the grisly nature of the crime. That night, Peter filled an empty beer bottle with the petroleum from one of his lamps, then headed back to where he left Rosa. But as Peter ventured toward Rosa's body, he realized there were too many witnesses to set a fire undetected.

He hit the bottle behind a nearby sign and decided to come back later. Early the next morning, Peter told his wife he was headed to the bathroom, but instead snuck out the front door of their building. He sprinted to the hidden petroleum, grabbed the bottle, and made his way over to the hedges where he'd left Rosa's body. Peter poured the petroleum all over the girl, then dropped a lit match onto the corpse.

As soon as the flames ignited, Peter made himself scarce. Within minutes, he was home and crawled back into bed with his wife, who was none the wiser. A few hours later, construction workers discovered Rosa's church. charred body. But the fire hadn't engulfed the girl as Peter had hoped. Only her clothing and a little bit of her hair had been burned, so she was easily identifiable. However, based on the complex and sinister nature of her death, authorities found it difficult to narrow down a motive. And with unclear motives, it was nearly impossible to find a suspect. It appeared that Peter had once again

gotten away with murder. And he was ready to do it again. On the night of February 12th, 1929, four days after Rosa Oligas' death, Peter paced outside a beer house, hoping to find another victim. As the clock ticked closer to midnight, Peter grew more and more anxious. He had told his wife he was going out for drinks. If he stayed out too late, she would likely grow suspicious and start paying closer attention to his daily activities. He considered calling it a night. Suddenly, the door to the beer hall swung open, and a man named Rudolph Shear stumbled onto the desolate street. When he saw Peter staring at him through the darkness, Rudolph growled, what do you want? Then Rudolph shoved Peter, almost knocking him to the ground.

In response, 46-year-old Peter punched Rudolph in the neck, forcing the unsteady drunk to fall over backwards. Peter knelt over Rudolph and stabbed him several times in the head. head, neck, and back. Peter grew aroused with each thrust of the scissors, and when the blood sputtered out of Rudolph's wounds, Peter felt himself reach sexual satisfaction. Just as he did with Rosa, Peter pressed his lips against Rudolph's neck

and sucked the blood from his wound. Then he rolled the body into a nearby ditch and fled. But after a few moments, Peter realized that he should go back and remove any trace of his fingerprints. Peter jumped down into the dead. ditch, wiped down Rudolph's body and clothes, and headed home, making it back to the flat before his wife Augusta suspected a thing.

The next morning, Peter returned to the scene of the crime to revel in the chaos. He watched from a secluded spot across the street, later claiming to have publicly pleasured himself as the police shoot horrified bystanders away. On his way home, Peter crossed paths with a detective who was headed toward the site. Feeling bold, Peter struck up a conversation with the officer and asked if he was investigating the nearby murder. The detective eyed Peter suspiciously and asked how he knew the crime was a murder. Peter shrugged and told the officer that a friend had telephoned him about the grisly attack. Then Peter tipped his hat to the policeman and walked away.

While Peter felt a thrill of excitement speaking with the detective, he knew he had taken a huge risk. Dusseldorf authorities were on high alert, determined to find the murderer, so Peter decided not to push his luck and waited until it was safe to strike again. While Peter bided his time, another stroke of good fortune befell him. In April of 1929, a mentally ill man by the name of Stausberg was brought in for questioning about the murders of Rosa Oliga, Rudolf Scheer, and the attempted murder of Fraukun. Stausberg had attacked two women prior to Peter's February.

assault on Frau Kuhn, and because Peter's crimes somewhat fit Stausberg's M.O., he was a clear suspect. Stausberg's undiagnosed mental illness made him susceptible to pressure from law enforcement, and he quickly confessed to all of Peter's crimes. Under a defense of insanity, Stausberg was convicted and committed to an asylum for the rest of his life. Peter was delighted when he heard that Stousberg had taken the fall for his murders, to show the police they had the right man, he held off from committing any more crimes for a while. Instead, he satisfied his violent sexual urges through rough clandestine affairs. But after five months of

flying under the radar, Peter could no longer control his compulsions. Thanks to the extramarital relationships he had maintained throughout the spring, Peter had his pick of women who trusted him enough to follow him into the dark, desolate parts of the city. In July of 1929, he attempted to strangle two of the women he was dating, but both managed to escape. They reported the attacks to the police, but because Peter gave a fake name to both women, the authorities couldn't do much to help. Peter's failed murder attempts only fueled his desire to kill.

He was desperate, so when he saw a beautiful young woman in August, he decided, she was too pretty to let her get away. Maria Hahn was alone on a park bench enjoying the late summer breeze when Peter sat down beside her. He struck up a conversation and charmed Maria so thoroughly that she happily agreed to go on a date with him. But though Maria was excited for her date with the flirtatious stranger, Peter had only one thing on his mind,

and this time he was determined to get it right. Coming up, Peter begins the bloodiest rampage in Dusseldorf's history. Listeners, here's a new show I can't wait for you to check out. When it comes to love, every story is unique. Some play out like fairy tales seemingly meant to be. Others defy the odds to achieve happily ever after. In our love story, the newest Spotify original from Parcast, you'll discover the many pathways to love, as told by the actual couples who

found them. Every Tuesday, our love story celebrates the ups, downs, and pivotal moments that turn complete strangers into perfect pairs. Each episode offers an intimate glimpse inside a real-life romance, with couples recounting the highlights and hardships that define their love. Whether it's a chance encounter, a former friendship, or even a former enemy, our love story proves that love can begin and blossom in the most unexpected. ways. Follow our love story free on Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. Now back to the story. On August 12th, 1929, 46-year-old Peter Curtin left his flat to go on a date with Maria Hahn. Although his wife, Augusta, sensed that something was off, she watched him leave

in silence. By this point in their marriage, she'd learned that asking questions only resulted in violence. Her life was not her own. Peter made his way through the streets of Dusseldorf feeling a renewed sense of control over his life. His wife had finally stopped nagging him about his late-night activities, and he was ready to satisfy his murderous urges. When Peter arrived at the park, Maria was already waiting for him. The young woman rose from the bench where they had first met and waved hello. The couple made their way to a beer garden where they chatted over drinks, and then ventured to a restaurant for dinner. As the night wound down, Peter asked Maria

if she wanted to take an evening stroll. As the couple walked along the Dussel River, they came across a secluded patch of land where they engaged in consensual sex. Afterward, Peter told Maria he would walk her home. But as soon as they crossed into an empty meadow, Peter grabbed Maria by the throat and started strangling her. She fought back in desperation,

but Peter overpowered her, throttling Maria until she fell unconscious on the ground. Then he took out his trusty scissors and stabbed Maria in the throat. As usual, the blood aroused Peter greatly. He bent down and sucked the blood from Maria's neck. When he had his fill, he slammed the point of his scissors into her chest, neck and forehead, over and over until he climaxed. The whole process took about an hour, and when Peter was finished,

he rolled Maria's body into a ditch and covered her with some branches. With his thirst for murder and blood quenched, Peter returned home in high spirits. Unfortunately, his wife was still awake to see that he was covered in dirt and blood. Although Augusta usually tried to hold her tongue around her husband, this was a sight she couldn't ignore. She asked what he'd been doing all night. Peter offered feeble lies that his wife saw right through, and the couple argued,

When it became clear that her husband wasn't going to tell her the truth, Augusta abandoned her inquest and retired to bed. Peter followed shortly behind, making a silent vow to properly hide Maria's body. If she was found, Augusta was sure to connect the blood on his clothes with the murder, and he would be ruined. The next day, on August 13th, Peter grabbed a shovel from his flat and trekked outside to bury Maria. He found an obscured patch at the edge of the meadow hidden by woods and dug a large hole. Then he carried her corpse over to the grave.

As Peter carefully positioned her body as if it were in a coffin, a feeling of sentimentality washed over him. He caressed Maria's hair, then gently spread the first layer of dirt over her body. He felt as though he was performing a private funeral ceremony. As a violent psychopath incapable of experiencing most emotions, it may seem strange that Peter was able to conjure up feelings of sentimentality. However, many psychologists believe that sentimentality is not an emotion and is, in fact, more of a defense against it. The ability to get sentimental is actually quite common amongst narcissistic psychopaths. Dr. Sam Vaknan, who specializes in studying narcissists, believe, that they use sentimentality as a way to act out an appropriate emotion since they're unable

to feel it themselves. In addition to psychologists and psychiatrists, many philosophers and writers also subscribe to the idea that sentimentality is, as poet Wallace Stevens once said, the failure of feeling. Peter had never bothered to bury one of his victims before, and when he engaged in the process with Maria, he knew deep down that he was supposed to be able to be able to be able to be to feel something during the event, but because he was incapable of feeling empathy, he conjured up a swell of sentimentality for the situation instead. After Peter packed the last bit of soil over Maria's body,

he stashed the shovel near the river and washed the blood off his clothes in the water. Once he dried off, he headed back home. Augusta was still suspicious of her husband, but kept quiet this time, because he looked relatively unruffled. Peter might have looked ordinary on the outside, but inside he was churning. Fueled by Maria's blood, Peter attacked four more people over the next 11 days. First, he strangled a girl who he called Ani and threw her body into the river. Then he swapped his scissors for a dagger and went on a stabbing spree.

Peter jumped his victims from behind or under the cover of darkness so they couldn't identify him. In quick succession, he stabbed. a young girl in the chest, a middle-aged woman in the back, and an older homeless man in the back. By the end of August, the people of Dusseldorf were well aware that someone was terrorizing their city, and it was clear that Stausberg, the man who had taken the fall for Peter's crimes back in April, was innocent of those attacks. However, because Stousberg had committed other crimes, he remained in the insane asylum. Due to the nature of Peter's sadistic crimes, the press,

has started to call him the Vampire of Dusseldorf. He relished the moniker, loving the fact that the public viewed him as an agent of chaos, and he was determined to live up to his name. On the night of August 24, 1929, Peter traveled to the suburbs of Dusseldorf, where hundreds of people in the town of Fliha were enjoying the annual fair. At about 10.30, he spotted two girls making their way through the grounds, headed toward the exit. Gertrude Ha Maka was five years old, and Louisa Lenza, her foster sister, was 14.

When they passed Peter, who was standing just outside the fairgrounds, he called out to Louisa and asked if she could run back in and buy him some cigarettes. He offered to look after Gertrude while she ran the errand and said she could keep the change. Louisa accepted the money and darted back toward the booths. As soon as she was out of sight, Peter carried five-year-old Gertrude behind the fairgrounds, and strangled her. Then he slid her throat with his dagger. He made his way back to where he'd left Louisa and waited for her to return with the cigarettes. When she arrived, Peter grabbed her by the throat, making sure she couldn't scream. Peter carried Louisa over to where her sister lay and placed the girls next to each other.

Louisa stirred, but before she could draw attention to them, Peter stabbed her in the chest and neck, silencing her for good. Peter returned to the fairgrounds the following day, listening in on conversations between horrified townspeople. Later, Peter said, It gave me pleasure that the lovely bright Sunday in Dusseldorf had been shattered as by a lightning stroke. Twelve hours later, still excited by the frenzy he had caused,

Peter approached a young woman in the neighborhood town of Noyce and asked if she wanted to go to the fair with him. The woman, 26-year-old, old Gertrude Schulta agreed to the date. Peter introduced himself as Fritz Baumgart and suggested they take a shortcut through the woods. At some point during their walk, Peter grabbed Gertrude by the throat, threw her on the ground, and attempted to rape her. Gertrude pushed him away, screaming, I'd rather die. Peter laughed in her face and replied, well, die then. He stabbed her in the throat, head and back, ending with a blow so violent that the dagger

broke and part of the blade stayed lodged in Gertrude's body. Undeterred, Peter licked the blood off Gertrude's hands, then ran away. But as he made his way out of the woods, he heard screaming. Apparently there was a small party happening nearby and everyone heard Gertrude's cries for help. However, no one saw what actually happened. Peter lingered nearby, listening to the sounds of authorities inspecting the crime scene. Eventually, he got to the got up through what was left of his dagger away and walked home. He wasn't worried about getting caught. He was certain that Gertrude would die from her wounds.

He was wrong. Coming up, the vampire of Dusseldorf horrifies the nation. Now back to the story. In late August of 1929, 46-year-old Peter Curtin killed two girls at a local fair and attempted to kill another woman, all within the span of two days. When the newspapers reported on the Vampire of Dusseldorf's grisly new crimes, it sent the public into a frenzy.

Concerned citizens wrote letters to the police department, naming possible suspects and demanding that they catch the monster once and for all. The authorities were doing their best, but they had very little information to help them. Fortunately, Gertrude Schulte, the woman Peter, attempted, a murder on August 24th, survived. She was able to give police an accurate description of her attacker. However, Peter gave her an alias, and his lack of distinguishing features meant that her information wasn't as useful as it might have been. And so, Peter Curtin's reign of terror continued. Over the next two months, he attacked five women and killed two. Despite two successful murders,

Peter felt they were too quick and too easy. He longed for a kill where he could take his time. In the past, his favorite victims were children. They were always easier to abduct and to do with as he pleased. So on the evening of November 7, 1929, Peter set out to find his next victim. While roaming the streets of Dusseldorf, he came upon a girl of about five and bent down to speak to her gently. She introduced herself as Gertrude Albemont and happily followed Peter into the night. Peter led Gertrude to a deserted area behind a house and strangled her quietly.

Then he took the scissors out of his pocket and stabbed her in the temple. He then stabbed her body over and over until he was satisfied. When Peter finished, he looked over his work, taking in Gertrude's slight unmoving figure, he felt invincible. So the very next day, Peter wrote to a local newspaper and described where Gertrude's body was hidden. He also included a hand-drawn map to the body of Maria Hahn, the woman he had stabbed and buried back in August. It's highly likely that Peter falls into the category of a narcissistic psychopath. So given his personality type, his decision to contact the media was not unusual.

Psychologist Leon Selzer asserts that narcissists are driven toward fame and recognition. Throughout history, there have been several serial killers who inserted themselves into the public discourse about their crimes. According to criminologist James Fox, serial killers often reach out to police or media at a point when they feel invincible. Fox said, They feel that the police are no match for their skill, their cunning, their stardom, and their brilliance. As a narcissist, Peter already operated with a grandiose sense of self. Once the paper started reporting on his gruesome crimes,

the widespread panic he caused made him feel untouchable. By the time the newspaper published Peter's letter, Gertrude's body had already been found. But the staff shared the map with police, and on November 15th, Maria Hahn's body was finally discovered. At this point, Peter felt a sensitive, of power and control over the people of Dusseldorf. As they mourned the horrific death of little Gertrude Albemann and grappled with the idea that the same man killed Maria Hahn, Peter slunk back

into the shadows. From November 1929 through February 1930, Peter left the citizens of Dusseldorf untouched. He allowed the public to hope that the vampire had moved on. Then in February, he started strangling and raping women again. In March, he started strangling, and raping women again. In March, he allowed, and April, he escalated his crimes and attacked more women with his scissors. All of these victims lived to tell their tales, and it became abundantly clear that the vampire was alive and hungry for more blood. At the end of April, his confidence showed. He was getting sloppy. That month, he came across Charlotta Ulrich, as she waited for a train back to her hometown of Dusberg, about 17 miles north of Dusseldorf. The two chatted so much of

so long that Charlotta missed the last train. So Peter proposed that they passed the evening at an all-night cafe, where they could drink and talk until the morning rides resumed. Charlotte happily agreed. But as the pair walked toward the cafe, a creeping sense of fear came over Charlotte. Peter could sense his date pulling away, so he smiled and made a joke,

suggesting that she thought he was the Dusseldorf vampire. Charlotte laughed and assured Peter that she didn't suspect him of any nefarious motives. She was only anxious about being out at night with a stranger in a new city. The couple pressed onwards, venturing further away from the train station. As soon as he spotted an area that was unlit by street lamps, Peter pushed Charlotta onto a bench. He held her down, pulled a hammer from his pocket, and struck her hard on the left side of her head. Peter hit her again on the right temple, and just before Charlotta passed out, she managed to raise her hands up to her face in defense.

Peter didn't bother to move Charlotta's hands before striking her skull several more times. When he was satisfied, Peter left Charlotta for dead, but a short while later, she woke up. The simple act of putting her hands on her head had protected her enough to dull the blows. Charlotte's hands were swollen, black, and bloody. Her nails were all cracked and some were even missing. Still, she gathered enough strength to tear up her petticoat and make a tourniquet for her head. Then she started walking back toward the train station where she found someone to help her. Even when he heard the news of Charlotta's unexpected survival, Peter was confident that he would never be discovered.

He had already gotten away with so much. but this confidence was to be his undoing. On the night of May 14, 1930, Peter stood on a platform at the Dusseldorf train station. He watched as another man approached a lost young woman named Maria Budlick and offered to guide her to a nearby women's hostel. Perhaps guided by an innate affinity, Peter knew this man was up to no good. So he trailed behind the couple as they departed the station. But instead of leading Marathon,

Maria to a hostel, Peter could see he was leading her toward the park. Maria started to resist, and Peter heroically stepped in, asking if everything was all right. Maria explained the situation, and Peter told the man to get lost. Then, giving Maria a fake name, he invited her back to his flat so she could have something to eat. Maria was wary at first, but Peter insisted that he was a good person, pointing out that he had just saved her from a dangerous situation. Out of hunger and exhaustion, she decided to trust Peter and accompanied him back home.

His wife was out, so Peter had no problem letting Maria into his flat, where he continued to play the Good Samaritan. He gave Maria a glass of milk and a ham sandwich, and then told her he would take her to her hostel. Maria's hostel was on the other side of town, so the couple needed to take a short tram ride. While on the tram, they ran into a friend of Peters. With the witness who could place him with Maria, Peter's plans were foiled. He knew he couldn't murder her that night.

Still, Peter figured he could have a little fun. Once they got off the train, Peter led Maria away from the city. At some point on their walk, Maria realized they were venturing farther from her destination and deeper into the woods. Just as she started to worry, Peter grabbed her by the throat and shoved her up against a tree, where he tried to rape her. Maria resisted until she passed out. Peter was satisfied just from the sensation of throttling Maria.

So when she finally awoke, Peter showed her out of the woods and pointed the way to her hostel. The next day, Maria wrote a letter to a friend back home detailing her attack. She needed to vent to someone she trusted, especially since she didn't feel like the police would possibly care about what had happened to her. But Maria's letter never made it to her friend. It wasn't properly addressed, so a postal worker opened it up to see if the full address was written anywhere inside. After reading the letter, the postal worker suspected that the man who attacked Maria might actually be the infamous vampire of Dusseldorf. She passed the letter onto the police, who contacted Maria and proved that they actually cared very much.

On May 21st, Maria led two detectives down the street toward Peter's apartment. In attempting to butter Maria up and gain her trust, Peter had made the grave mistake of letting her see where he lived. When Maria found the familiar building, she ventured inside to investigate while the detectives waited outside. She made her way upstairs to Peter's apartment door, certain she was in the right place. As Maria came down the stairs, she saw Peter walk by. They made brief eye contact before he disappeared around a quarter. Maria rushed outside and told the detectives that she had just seen her attacker. Excited, they gave chase, but were unable to find him.

The vampire had vanished. When he saw Maria outside his flat, Peter knew that the jig was up. After evading police that afternoon, he decided to buy himself some time to think before his inevitable arrest. Peter told his wife that he had slept with Maria and that she was accusing him of rape. Because he already had a rape charge on his record, that meant he would be sent to prison again for several years. So he said he was going to hide for a night or so, and Augusta felt she had no choice but to let her husband go. Peter rented a room at a hotel in a neighboring town for a couple of nights and concocted a plan to help his wife before he was put away, or put down forever.

Although Peter never treated her well, Augusta had remained faithful to him throughout the time. their marriage and he respected her for it. He wanted to do one good thing for the woman who had stuck by him for almost 10 years. So on Friday, May 23rd, Peter snuck back home and told his wife who he really was. When he confessed to being the vampire of Dusseldorf, Augusta became hysterical. She vacillated between anger and despair, yelling at Peter for what he'd done and worrying about what would become of her without him. After several hours, Augusta finally calmed down, and Peter told her his idea. There was a sizable reward for the person who discovered and helped capture the vampire. Peter wanted his wife to turn him in and get the money. It took some convincing as Augusta found

the plan dishonest, but Peter convinced her that she not only needed the reward, she deserved it as well. They made a plan to meet the next day, and Peter returned to his hotel. On May 24, 1930, just two days shy of his 47th birthday, Peter walked into the St. Rojo's Church, where he had arranged to meet Augusta. He felt strangely calm, even knowing what was about to befall him. When Peter approached the church, a swarm of police officers emerged from the shadows and took the vampire down. He offered no resistance. Peter was held in police custody for almost a year before his trial took place. During this time, he was interviewed by psychiatrist Dr. Karlberg, who published their discussions

in a book called The Statist. The book offered people a glimpse into the mind of a serial killer for the very first time. Finally, on April 19, 1931, Peter's trial began. Thousands of Dusseldorf residents crowded both the police station and courtroom to get a glimpse. of the monster who had terrorized their city. During his 10-day trial, 47-year-old Peter spoke openly about all of his gruesome crimes. The prosecution barely needed to make their case,

as Peter's confessions proved to be all the evidence they needed. The defense attempted to prove insanity, but several doctors testified that, although he was twisted, Peter was perfectly sane. After less than two hours of deliberation, the jury found Peter Curtin guilty. of nine murders. He was sentenced to death. Three months later, on July 2nd, 1932, Peter walked across a prison yard flanked by a priest and a psychiatrist. They led him to a guillotine erected just for him.

As he settled onto the block, Peter reportedly spoke his last words. Tell me, after my head has been chopped off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sound of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck? That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures. The executioner answered Peter with a simple no. Thanks again for tuning into serial killers. We'll be back soon with a new episode. For more information on Peter Curtin, amongst the many sources we used, we found The Sadist by Carl Berg, extremely helpful to our research. You can find more episodes of serial killers and all other Spotify originals from Parkast 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 Russell Nash, with production assistance by Ron Shapiro, Carly Madden,

and Freddie Beckley. This episode of Serial Killers was written by Ellie Reed, with writing assistance by Joel Callan and stars Greg Paulson and Vanessa Richardson. Don't forget to check out Our Love Story, the newest Spotify original from Parcast. Every Tuesday, discover the many pathways to love, as told by the actual couples who found them.

Listen to Our Love Story, free on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Do you want to hear something spooky? Some Monster, it reminded me of Bigfoot. Monsters Among Us is a weekly podcast featuring true stories of the paranormal. One of the boys started to exhibit demonic possession. Stories straight from the witnesses' mouths themselves. Something very snake-like lifted its head out of the water. Hosted by me, your guide, Derek Hayes.

Somehow I lost eight whole hours. Listen now on Spotify or wherever you get your podcast. A beloved 75-year-old man washing up getting ready for bed is brutally beaten and killed. Despite an exhaustive investigation, the killer avoids arrest and then strikes again. I'm Global News crime reporter Nancy Hicks. You might listen to a lot of true crime podcasts this year, but they're not crime beat. Search for and follow the award-winning podcast Crime Beat on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.