Have you ever answered a personal ad before?
Although their popularity has decreased with the rise of dating apps, these ads have existed
since at least 18th century.
Most of the time they're placed by people with genuine intentions to find a partner,
but they have also been used for more insidious means.
After all, it's easy to lie, to pretend to be someone you're not in order to gain a stranger's
trust.
This is how serial killer Henri Désiré Landru found his victims from 1914 to 1919.
By the time his crimes came to light, he had already claimed the lives of ten people and
earned the nickname Bluebeard, after the fictional sadistic nobleman.
How was Landru able to steal the hearts of so many women, and how did no one recognize
the real monster behind the charming facade?
It's April 1914 in Paris, France and 45 year old Henri Desire Landru has just taken out
a personal ad in the paper.
Landru places the ad using a fake name, of which he has many, in the hopes of attracting
a woman with money.
The ad is answered by Madame Jeanne Cuchet, a 39 year old shop owner who had a 15 year
old son named Andre.
Landru, who by all accounts was a charming and well-mannered man, seduces Cuchet and
before long she and her son move with him to a villa in Vernouillet.
She helps him furnish the villa, and he promises to marry her.
What Madame Cuchet doesn’t know is that she's living with a married man who abandoned
his wife and has made a career out of scamming people out of money.
He served several years in prison for fraud, but that did nothing to curtail his greed.
After January 4, 1915 Cuchet and her son mysteriously disappear and are never seen or heard from again.
Usually a glimpse into a killer's childhood and early life can offer clues into their
psyche and motives, but Landru's upbringing was mostly normal.
He was born in Paris on April 12, 1869.
His mother was a laundry worker and his father was a fireman at the furnaces of Paris' Vulcain
Ironworks.
He attended Catholic school and graduated in his 17th year.
When he turned 18, he was drafted by the military and eventually reached the rank of sergeant.
In 1891 he started a sexual relationship with his cousin who eventually bore him a daughter.
Two years later, he married another woman and had four children.
Although he was short and bald, and not particularly attractive, he had many lovers throughout
the years.
Those who knew him said that he had an insatiable sexual appetite.
After Cuchet's disappearance, Landru moves into a house in Gombais where he lives a secretive
life.
He continues to place personal ads looking for women to meet, and more and more women
fall into his trap.
Over the years, neighbors often see him walking into the house with women but never see the
women leave.
Occasionally foul-smelling smoke emerges from his chimney.
It smells so bad that the neighbors openly complain about it.
During these years, France is in the midst of World War 1, so Landru has no problem finding
lonely widows in search of companionship.
By 1919, Landru has killed, dismembered and burned 10 women as well as Cuchet's 15 year
old son.
He places their belongings in his basement, where he also keeps detailed notes and paperwork
about his relationships with the women, including a list of every woman he's killed and every
woman he's scammed.
He has so many aliases that he has to keep a ledger listing all of the women with whom
he's corresponded with and which particular identity he used for each woman.
In all, he's been in contact with around 300 women.
His only motive is money.
Once he gets that, he disposes of the women as quickly as possible.
Police begin to investigate him after Madame Buisson, a relative of one the victims, raises
questions about her whereabouts.
Although Landru refuses to talk when he is taken into questioning, police connect the
dots using the list found in Landru's basement
Every name is connected to a missing person.
As the case becomes more publicized, others come forward with stories about how Landru
romanced their friends and relatives, only to have them disappear.
Police also search his oven after hearing about the foul smelling smoke that emerges
from his chimney and they find hundreds of bone fragments and teeth.
Landru is charged with the crimes, and a boisterous and highly publicized trial follows.
Landru and his defending counsel's main argument is that no bodies have been found, and that
the bone fragments found in Landru's oven could have come from animals.
He is found guilty on November 29, 1921 and is sent to die in the guillotine on February 25, 1922.
He never confesses to the murders.
Now I want to know what you think.
Why was it so easy for Landru to get away with his crimes for so long?
I also want to know if any of you guys have ever had any dodgy experiences meeting people
through personal ads or dating apps?
Remember to be safe in your search for love, and as always, if you liked this video, please
subscribe to Crypticc for more.