Joseph Vacher
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Joseph Vacher (16 November 1869 – 31 December 1898) was a French
serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...
, rapist, and necrophile. He was contemporarily called "" ("the killer of shepherds"), but upon his capture became more commonly known as "The French Ripper"Bouchardon, Pierre, ''Vacher l'éventreur'', Albin Michel, 1939 or "" ("The South-East Ripper"), owing to comparisons to the more famous
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...
murderer of London, England, in 1888. Vacher's scarred face and plain, white, handmade rabbit-fur hat composed his trademark appearance. He killed between 11 to 46 people, many of whom were adolescent farm workers, between 1894 and 1897. Lacassagne, Alexandre, ''Vacher l'éventreur et les crimes sadiques'', 189
On-line
(French)


Early life


Family

Vacher was born as the second youngest of 16 children to
illiterate Literacy is the ability to read and write, while illiteracy refers to an inability to read and write. Some researchers suggest that the study of "literacy" as a concept can be divided into two periods: the period before 1950, when literacy was ...
farmer Pierre Vacher (1810–1889), in Pierre's hometown of Beaufort, a commune 5 kilometers from Beaurepaire and 60 kilometers from
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
. Joseph's mother, Marie Rose "Rosalie" Ravit (1825–1882) from Lentiol, was Pierre's second wife after his first wife Virginie Didier, mother of four of Joseph's siblings, died in 1849, aged 30. Pierre and Rose became Joseph's parents at a relatively old age, being 59 and 44 years old respectively. Vacher had a twin brother, Eugène, who died in infancy on 15 July 1870, after choking to death on a loaf of bread that had been placed in the shared cradle by one of Vacher's older brothers.


Childhood and adolescene

As a child, Vacher was already noted for his temper, having once shot at a group of other boys with his father's rifle for heckling him. Another incident occurred while working on the family farm, when he attempted to strangle his younger brother Louis because Vacher thought he was slacking off while helping him push a wheelbarrow. In the summer of 1884, a ten-year-old boy named Joseph Amieux was raped and murdered inside a barn in a neighboring town. Although the crime is blamed on vagabonds, then-14-year-old Vacher would later be suspected as having been the true perpetrator. At age fifteen, Vacher was sent to his widowed half-sister in
Saint-Genis-Laval Saint-Genis-Laval () is a Communes of France, commune in the metropolis of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region of eastern France. The Lyon Observatory is located in this commune. History Saint-Genis-Laval draws its name f ...
, who, overwhelmed by the task of caring for the temperamental youth, sent him to a very strict
Marist Brothers The Marist Brothers of the Schools, commonly known as simply the Marist Brothers, is an international community of Catholic Church, Catholic religious institute of Religious brother, brothers. In 1817, Marcellin Champagnat, a Marist priest from Fr ...
school, where he was taught to obey and to fear God. He was meant to be educated there until he was 18, but expelled after only two years, as monks at the school noted Vacher for torturing animals and masturbation. He found work as a restaurant worker and moved in with his sister and her husband in Marcollin. While living with them, Vacher contracted
syphilis Syphilis () is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the bacterium ''Treponema pallidum'' subspecies ''pallidum''. The signs and symptoms depend on the stage it presents: primary, secondary, latent syphilis, latent or tertiary. The prim ...
and had to have his left testicle surgically removed at Antiquaille Hospital six months following the diagnosis. At age 18, he was reported for the attempted rape of a 12-year-old boy on a farm in Beaufort on 29 June 1888. The victim, Marcelin Bourdon, was pushed down while baling hay in a barn, but managed to punch Vacher and alert fellow workers to the scene. Vacher avoided a charge of
pederasty Pederasty or paederasty () is a sexual relationship between an adult man and an adolescent boy. It was a socially acknowledged practice in Ancient Greece and Rome and elsewhere in the world, such as Pre-Meiji Japan. In most countries today, ...
as he fled town and his employers were unaware of his residence. He was evicted in 1889 by his brother-in-law due to his aggressive behaviour and went to
Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
to ask to live with his brother Auguste, to whom he admitted to the attempted rape in Beaufort and possibly referenced other violent crimes he committed. After he was rejected by his brother, he lived in
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
. In 1891, Vacher was briefly confined to an asylum for voicing
persecutory delusions A persecutory delusion is a type of delusional condition in which the affected person believes that harm is going to occur to oneself by a persecutor, despite a clear lack of evidence. The person may believe that they are being targeted by an i ...
.


Military service

Seeking escape from the intense poverty of his peasant background, he joined the
army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...
in 1890, serving in the 60th infantry regiment. Early into his enlistment, Vacher was transferred from his initial living quarters because he kept stealing and hiding the clothes of fellow soldiers. Vacher was noted for his ill temper and aggressive behaviour towards his fellow soldiers. In his first year of service, Vacher made at least two murder attempts on superior officers. In the first instance, frustrated at slow promotion, infused with the grandiose belief that he was not receiving the attention he deserved, Vacher made threats against Barbier, a recently promoted
corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...
from his unit. When Barbier arrived in Vacher's barracks to calm him down, Vacher attacked him with a
straight razor A straight razor is a razor with a blade that can fold into its handle. They are also called open razors and cut-throat razors. The predecessors of the modern straight razors include bronze razors, with cutting edges and fixed handles, produced ...
. After failing to injure Barbier, Vacher instead tried to kill himself by slicing his throat, in his first known suicide attempt. In another incident, Vacher tried to stab a sergeant fourrier with a pair of tailor's scissors. He was brought to the infirmary for overnights stays after both incidents, and following the second attack, he was heard screaming "Blood! I'll kill him! They don't know what I'm capable of!". In another incident, Vacher lunged at the adjutant sergeant Tissot with a razor when the latter confiscated a bottle of brandy from him. Despite these incidents, Vacher was promoted to corporal the same year. After reaching the rank of sergeant on 28 December 1892, Vacher was known to punish soldiers for infractions by physically beating them, once nearly strangling a man to death. One soldier, a private named Mathieu, attested that Vacher kicked him in the abdomen for failing to keep a steady marching pace and threatened to
court-martial A court-martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the arme ...
Mathieu. On the way to the barracks, however, Vacher took Mathieu aside and admitted that he would not have a proper case against Mathieu, asking him to forget about the threat. Reportedly, Vacher was also known to steal from civilians, for which he was never charged since the items were of low value. Although he served for under three years, Vacher would later claim to have been a
non-commissioned officer A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
with the
Zouaves The Zouaves () were a class of light infantry regiments of the French Army and other units modelled on it, which served between 1830 and 1962, and served in French North Africa. The zouaves were among the most decorated units of the French Army ...
, which, while unsubstantiated and unlikely, was widely repeated in contemporary English-language media. Related to this, Vacher stated he had evaded arrest in 1897 by repeating this claim to a
gendarme A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to "men-at-arms" (). In France and som ...
who was about to book him for running from law enforcement; said gendarme was looking for the perpetrator in a nearby murder committed by Vacher.


Attempted murder-suicide

In the spring of 1893, while Vacher was stationed in
Besançon Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland. Capi ...
, he fell in love with a young maidservant, Louise Barant. After his attempted suicide led to a four-month dismissal from the military, he invited her to a meal and proposed to Barant during this first rendezvous. She declined because Vacher said he would "kill erif she betrayed im in the same breath. Vacher nevertheless attempted to move in with Barant and her parents, and failing that, he stalked her while she was at work. Privately, Vacher grew paranoid that Barant had become involved with his best friend Louis Loyonnet, a fellow soldier who was a childhood friend from the Marist school. Barant eventually accepted an invitation to go to a dance with him, but ran off when Vacher attacked a man who spoke to Barant during the date. Barant moved back to her mother in
Baume-les-Dames Baume-les-Dames () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France. The French mineralogist and chemist Jacques-Joseph Ébelmen (1814–1852), the writer and poet Charles-Émilien Thuriet (1832†...
, so Vacher instead began sending her love letters, again trying to court her, and repeating his marriage proposal. On 24 June 1893, Vacher got into an argument with Barant as she refused to acknowledge his letters and gifts. When she told Vacher that she rejected the marriage offer, Vacher grabbed Barant from behind and took out a kitchen knife, shouting "As good as today as tomorrow!", but fled without harming Barant when he heard someone approaching. The following day, on 25 June, Vacher purchased a
swordstick A swordstick or cane-sword is a cane containing a hidden blade or sword. The term is typically used to describe European weapons from around the 18th century. But similar devices have been used throughout history, notably the Roman ''dolon'', t ...
, a revolver and ammunition, and entered Barant's residence in Besançon. Vacher told Barant to either accept his proposal or return the letters and gifts, but before she could answer, Vacher shot her three times in the head with the revolver. Barant was badly injured from a shot through the mouth, which broke off two front teeth, and grazes by both temples, but survived the shooting. Vacher then attempted suicide by shooting himself twice in the head. Vacher survived these injuries, instead paralyzing one side of his face, deforming him severely. One of the bullets remained lodged in his ear for the remainder of his life, and the damage to his brain likely exacerbated his existing mental illness. He felt that the shooting damaged him more than physically: he later claimed, after his arrest, that the reactions of strangers to this self-inflicted deformity drove him to hatred of society at large. Barant received dentistry treatment and returned to work within two weeks of the shooting the following July. On 7 July 1893, Vacher was confined to Saint-Ylle Psychiatric Hospital in
Dole, Jura Dole (, sometimes pronounced ) is a commune in the eastern French department of Jura, of which it is a subprefecture (''sous-préfecture''). History Dole was the capital of Franche-Comté until Louis XIV conquered the region; he shifted t ...
, where he often attacked staff, destroyed furniture, and wrote letters to officials, claiming he suffered abuse there. On 2 August, Vacher was discharged from the army in relation to the attempted killing, but still received a certificate of good conduct. He briefly escaped the facility on 25 August, but was caught a few weeks later, though once more fleeing by jumping out of a train window while he was being transported back to Dole. When he was found and brought back two days later, he tried to commit suicide by repeatedly bashing his head against a wall. On 21 December of the same year, a court found him not guilty of the attempted murder of Louise Barant by reason of insanity and he was transferred to the state-run Saint-Robert Psychiatric Hospital outside of
Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...
. He stayed there for three months until his doctors pronounced him "completely cured," and released on 1 April 1894. In total, Vacher spent less than ten months in treatment. That same day, during a meeting with his former subordinate, Private Mathieu, Vacher stated that he had "tricked" staff into the release by claiming he had suffered only "temporary insanity".


Murders

Vacher began murdering his victims shortly after his release at the age of 25. During a three-year period beginning in 1894, Vacher murdered and mutilated at least 11 people (one woman, six teenage girls, and four teenage boys). Many of them were
shepherd A shepherd is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations; it exists in many parts of the globe, and it is an important part of Pastoralism, pastoralist animal husbandry. ...
s watching their flocks in isolated fields. The victims were stabbed repeatedly, often disemboweled,
rape Rape is a type of sexual assault involving sexual intercourse, or other forms of sexual penetration, carried out against a person without consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or against a person ...
d, and
sodomized Sodomy (), also called buggery in British English, principally refers to either anal sex (but occasionally also oral sex) between people, or any sexual activity between a human and another animal ( bestiality). It may also mean any non- procreat ...
, the last two occasionally
post-mortem An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death ...
. Vacher became a drifter, travelling from town to town, from
Normandy Normandy (; or ) is a geographical and cultural region in northwestern Europe, roughly coextensive with the historical Duchy of Normandy. Normandy comprises Normandy (administrative region), mainland Normandy (a part of France) and insular N ...
to
Provence Provence is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which stretches from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the France–Italy border, Italian border to the east; it is bordered by the Mediterrane ...
, staying mainly in the southeast of France and surviving by begging or working on farms as a day labourer. Most murders occurred in what is now the
Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (; AURA) or ; or ; . is a Regions of France, region in southeast-central France created by the 2014 territorial reform of French regions; it resulted from the merger of Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes. The new region came into e ...
region. By most accounts, Vacher was unkempt and frightening, wandering from town to town as a vagrant in filthy clothes, begging in the streets and surviving on the scraps he received from anyone who would show him kindness. The few times he took temporary work such as shepherding from farmers, Vacher would often quit midway and still demand full payment. During this time, he was twice arrested for
vagrancy Vagrancy is the condition of wandering homelessness without regular employment or income. Vagrants usually live in poverty and support themselves by travelling while engaging in begging, waste picker, scavenging, or petty theft. In Western ...
, but never suspected of the killings. He reportedly attributed being undetected by police to God's grace and would regularly undertake pilgrimages to
Lourdes Lourdes (, also , ; ) is a market town situated in the Pyrenees. It is part of the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Occitanie region in southwestern France. Prior to the mid-19th century, the town was best known for its Château fort, a ...
to pray to the statue of the Virgin Mary. Authorities did not make a connection between any of the killings until the summer of 1897, when newly-installed judge , who had investigated the murder of Augustine Mortureux in 1895, had judicial offices in départements across
Southern France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...
collect records of unsolved murders, having concluded that a single individual was behind some of the gruesome murders reported to him due to their shared mutilation and/or victim group.


Notable sightings and incidents

On 2 September, 1895, a man matching Vacher's exact description was reported in
Belley Belley (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Bèlê'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region, France. It is the capital of the historical regi ...
, having squatted for a night at the local washhouse and become aggressive with locals, including a ten-year-old girl he tried to buy wine from with just ten ''
centimes Centime (from ) is French for " cent", and is used in English as the name of the fraction currency in several Francophone countries (including Switzerland, Algeria, Belgium, Morocco and France). In France, the usage of ''centime'' goes back ...
'' and farmers who had denied him work, but offered him
alms Alms (, ) are money, food, or other material goods donated to people living in poverty. Providing alms is often considered an act of Charity (practice), charity. The act of providing alms is called almsgiving. Etymology The word ''alms'' come ...
. On 31 July, 1896, while in Précy, Vacher went to the home of a ferryman named Abel Sandrin, with whom he had an unspecified dispute, and started a fistfight. Sandrin deflected each blow and retaliated with punches of his own, which left Vacher bloodied while Sandrin remained unharmed. On 17 October 1896, Vacher passed through the commune of
Job Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...
, where he knocked on the house of a woman surnamed Gouttebel and asked her for cheese. Gouttebel turned to the kitchen to bring him some food when Vacher threw himself on her when she returned. Gouttebel tore away from his grip and ran outside to alert her neighbours. He was arrested for the assault, but eventually let go after a short stay in jail. Through early-mid February, 1897, Vacher lodged in Couloubrac, a
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...
near
Lacaune Lacaune (; , meaning ''the cave'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography The river Gijou has its source in the commune. History In 1797, the feral child ...
, first accompanied by another vagrant named Gautrais. He stayed with two families, the Farencs and the Moffres, who later identified him by photograph, wearing his old infantry fatigues. He often entertained the children of his lodgers by reading them books or showing off "
souvenirs A souvenir ( French for 'a remembrance or memory'), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and trans ...
" from his past, including two large hiking sticks and a photo of a woman in
miller A miller is a person who operates a mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surnames, as are their equivalents ...
's garb, who he claimed was his "mistress" Maria Lourdes, a name that was also engraved on a knife and leather sheath he carried. On 17 February, he knocked on the door of Suzanne Cabrol, who allowed him in to warm himself by the fireplace. Two talked amicably until Cabrol mentioned that she had received a 2500-franc inheritance from her sister in
Castres Castres (; ''Castras'' in the Languedocian dialect, Languedocian dialect of Occitan language, Occitan) is the sole Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department in the Occitania (adminis ...
. At this point, the previously tranquil Vacher stared at her "with bad air", at which point Cabrol shouted for her husband (who was actually away that night), causing Vacher to bolt out of the house. She was confirmed to be telling the truth as she independently noted the sergeant
chevrons Chevron (often relating to V-shaped patterns) may refer to: Science and technology * Chevron (aerospace), sawtooth patterns on some jet engines * Chevron (anatomy), a bone * '' Eulithis testata'', a moth * Chevron (geology), a fold in rock la ...
on Vacher's clothing. Most witnesses recalled that Vacher made frequent mention of the Virgin Mary, specifically in relation to the
Lourdes apparitions The Lourdes apparitions are several Marian apparitions reported in 1858 by Bernadette Soubirous, the 14-year-old daughter of a miller, in the town of Lourdes in Southern France. From 11 February to 16 July 1858, she reported 18 apparitions ...
. Also, on either 13 or 17 February, he passed through the hamlet of Carausse and rested at the house of 43-year-old Virginie Bousquet, who let him rest by the
hearth A hearth () is the place in a home where a fire is or was traditionally kept for home heating and for cooking, usually constituted by a horizontal hearthstone and often enclosed to varying degrees by any combination of reredos (a low, partial ...
for the night. She left Vacher at the house for a while to go for a walk because he made her uncomfortable with stories of "crude, strange things that happened at the
convents A convent is an enclosed community of monks, nuns, friars or religious sisters. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The term is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican Comm ...
" he was raised in. When Bousquet returned, she found her youngest daughter, 6-year-old Germaine, sitting on Vacher's knees. Bousquet was able to get her guest to get leave by threatening to call for her neighbours and barred the door afterwards to be safe. She asked Germaine if anything had happened and the girl revealed that Vacher had been clutching a knife behind her back in a hand hidden between his thighs. He was sighted again on 22 February in Lagarrigue, when he stayed with family of Paul Valette, whose 11- or 12-year-old daughter he taught to write a sentence in "elegant English writing": "Among travelers there are often great minds and sometimes even great friends of God". Afterwards, he begged for food at the house of a miller, Mme Hue, who first gave him soup, but went back on her offer when he did not thank her. In the ensuing argument, he insulted Hue and ran off. Vacher went to the house of Mme Assimot to warm himself at the fireplace. While they talked, one of Vacher's canes fell to the ground, revealing a long blade inside and frightened by this, Assimot ordered Vacher to leave. Her account was substantiated due to the matching description of the swordstick, an item Vacher was known to own, having been catalogued during his arrest for the Barant affair. On 13 July, Vacher bought a small black-white dog from a cobbler named Joseph Passas in Colombier-le-Jeune, which he named Loulette. According to a family who let Vacher lodge with them for a few days in Dunières, they took him in on 14 July after seeing him beg outside of a pub, playing the
accordion Accordions (from 19th-century German language, German ', from '—"musical chord, concord of sounds") are a family of box-shaped musical instruments of the bellows-driven free reed aerophone type (producing sound as air flows past a Reed (mou ...
while Loulette pranced around with a tamed
magpie Magpies are birds of various species of the family Corvidae. Like other members of their family, they are widely considered to be intelligent creatures. The Eurasian magpie, for instance, is thought to rank among the world's most intelligent c ...
perched on her back. Although Vacher had claimed to play the accordion to the families back in Couloubrac, onlooker Vital Vallonre said his tune was off-key and that he was unable to play ''
la Marseillaise "La Marseillaise" is the national anthem of France. It was written in 1792 by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in Strasbourg after the declaration of war by the First French Republic against Austria, and was originally titled "". The French Na ...
'' when asked. The family recalled that he was kind to the couple's four daughters and their friends, for whom he performed music and made funny faces. He had reportedly asked their neighbors if there were any open shepherd jobs. One of them, Mme Ranc in nearby Vernoux turned him away when she asked where he was from and he replied, with a glare, "from a mental asylum". On 2 August, Vacher was ousted from the area by locals following an incident at the farm of Régis Bac near Alboussière. Bac had given Vacher some stew, which Vacher then tried to share with his dog Loulette. When the animal did not eat, Vacher said "If you don't want to eat this, I will kill you" before grabbing Loulette and throwing her to the ground until the dog's head caved in, doing the same to his pet bird. Bac gave Vacher a shovel to bury the animals before telling him to leave.


Final attacks and capture

In the morning hours of 4 August 1897 Vacher tried to assault Marie Héraud gathering wood and pinecones in a field in
Champis Champis is a soft drink created by Robert Roberts in 1918. It was sold already in 1910, but then under a different name. The recipe is secret and the extract is produced by Roberts in Örebro and sold to breweries who prepare and distribute the ...
. She fought back and her screams soon alerted two of her children, as well as her husband, 31-year-old Séraphin Plantier, who came rushing to her aid. Although Plantier was of slight build and shorter than Vacher, he fought off the attacker and pelted him with two stones. The commotion was heard by four neighbours, also collecting cinder, who rushed to Plantier's aid and restrained Vacher. As the men escorted him to the residential area, Vacher told a different tramp as they passed, "Look, I wanted to have a quickie, they wouldn't let me". They locked him in a shed at a nearby
inn Inns are generally establishments or buildings where travelers can seek lodging, and usually, food and drink. Inns are typically located in the country or along a highway. Before the advent of motorized transportation, they also provided accomm ...
, with Dupré Charlon, the homeowner, and the four neighbours keeping watch as Plantier left with his wife to get police from the station in Saint-Péray, leaving the men to guard Vacher for the next six hours. Charlon would later recall that Vacher spouted all manner of obscenities at them and ranted about how he had "rights" and wanted to exercise them on "all women". When Charlon joked that Vacher should "pay for the personnel, get married", Vacher took the statement serious, saying "No, I have as many rights as anyone over all women and I want to use them". When Vacher noticed Charlon's wife and children were in the house, he exclaimed "La garce!" ("The bitch!") and continued to scream vulgar insults for the next hours, refusing to interact further with Charlon outside of spitting at him when he got close. Vacher would attempt twice to escape the shed, being prevented by Charlon, who would kick him back. At one point, Vacher asked for a drink. Charlon gave him a glass and while in the process of filling it with fresh water, a few drops landed on Vacher's shoe. This resulted in Vacher throwing the glass in Charlon's face, who reciprocated by hitting him with the metal water jug and kicking him to the ground. While Vacher proceeded to threaten Charlon and his family with death and torture once he got out of prison, Charlon asked why he didn't just hire prostitutes instead of attacking random women, to which Vacher replied "No, no, I respect myself more than you do. I don't want the ones you talk about. I need young girls, shepherdesses or cowgirls". Charlon then asked why he attacked Héraud, a mother of three, if he wanted "young girls", with Vacher stating "Oh, I would have much preferred to have the other one, the young girl from Gravil nearby farm That's the one I had wanted". When Plantier returned with two officers, Vacher was sitting near a tree, playing his accordion, and upon seeing the gendarmerie, he simply said, "If you were in my place, you would do like me, but you have women and I have none". Vacher was first charged with public indecency for attempted rape, receiving a three month and one day prison sentence. Based on judge Fourquet's belief that the arrested tramp might be the killer he was looking for, Vacher was transported to
Prison Saint-Paul Prison Saint-Paul, alternatively named Prison Saint-Paul - Saint-Joseph, was the maison d'arrêt of Lyon, France, located at 33 Cours Suchet in the Confluence quarter, 2nd arrondissement, just south of the Gare de Lyon-Perrache. The building, ...
by train via the , where he briefly escaped at the exit of La Mulatière tunnel before he was recaptured at Perrache station. Fifteen residents of Bénonces, where a murder linked to Vacher had taken place, were called in and all identified Vacher as having been in town at the time of the murder. Despite their belief that they had apprehended the man responsible, the authorities had little
physical evidence In evidence law, physical evidence (also called real evidence or material evidence) is any material object that plays some role in the matter that gave rise to the litigation, introduced as evidence in a judicial proceeding (such as a trial) t ...
that Vacher was responsible for the series of murders, and Vacher adamantly denied involvement during questioning. However, on 7 October, with little apparent prompting, Vacher confessed to committing the some of murders brought against him, first only to eight, but later eleven, saying, "I have come to tell you the whole truth. Yes, I am the one who committed all the crimes you have accused me of... and that in a moment of rage".


Insanity plea

After his arrest, Vacher claimed he was
insane Insanity, madness, lunacy, and craziness are behaviors caused by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity can manifest as violations of societal norms, including a person or persons becoming a danger to themselves or to other ...
and attempted to prove it in a variety of ways. He claimed that a
rabid Rabies is a viral disease that causes encephalitis in humans and other mammals. It was historically referred to as hydrophobia ("fear of water") because its victims panic when offered liquids to drink. Early symptoms can include fever and abn ...
dog's bite had poisoned his blood, causing madness, but later blamed the
quack cure Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or Ignorance, ignorant medicine, medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or public ...
he received for the bite. He also claimed he was sent by God, comparing himself to
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc ( ; ;  â€“ 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the Coronation of the French monarch, coronation of Charles VII o ...
. Despite his protestations, he was pronounced sane after lengthy investigations by a team of doctors that included the eminent professor
Alexandre Lacassagne Alexandre Lacassagne (August 17, 1843 – September 24, 1924) was a French physician and criminologist who was a native of Cahors. He was the founder of the Lacassagne school of criminology, based in Lyon and influential from 1885 to 1914, and th ...
. Court documents say that investigators were able to confirm that Vacher kept close contact with sheep dogs as a child, but believed that Vacher's insistence on their responsibility for his condition actually ties back to their owner, the commune's
garde champêtre A () is the combination of a forest ranger, game warden and Code Enforcement, code enforcement officer in certain rural communes in France. Organization Their job is to report to the local mayor. Many of these officers carry firearms (they co ...
, who may have raped Vacher when he was six years old. He was tried and convicted by judge Émile Fourquet of the
Cour d'Assises In France, a ''cour d'assises'', or Court of Assizes or Assize Court, is a Criminal law, criminal trial court with original jurisdiction, original and Appellate jurisdiction, appellate limited jurisdiction to hear cases involving defendants accu ...
of
Ain Ain (, ; ) is a French department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Eastern France. Named after the Ain river, it is bordered by the Saône and Rhône rivers. Ain is located on the country's eastern edge, on the Swiss border, where it ...
, the département where he had murdered two of his victims, and was sentenced to death for the murder of Victor Portalier on 28 October 1898. On 26 January 1898, Vacher broke out of his cell and seriously injured the on-duty guard by battering him with a chair before he was subdued by other staff. Vacher was executed by
guillotine A guillotine ( ) is an apparatus designed for effectively carrying out executions by Decapitation, beheading. The device consists of a tall, upright frame with a weighted and angled blade suspended at the top. The condemned person is secur ...
at 7:03 a.m. on 31 December 1898, in front of a crowd of 3,500 people. He refused to walk to the scaffold under his own power and was dragged to the guillotine by the executioners.


Victims


Confirmed

A list of Vacher's known victims. * 19 May 1894 in Beaurepaire: Eugénie Delhomme (21), silk factory worker * 20 November 1894 in La Vacquière, near
Vidauban Vidauban () is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It lies on the bank of the river Argens. Geography Climate Vidauban has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen climate cla ...
: Louise Marcel (13), shepherd * 12 May 1895 in Étaules: Augustine Mortureux (17), shepherd * Unknown date between 27 May and 5 June 1895 in
Tassin-la-Demi-Lune Tassin-la-Demi-Lune () or simply Tassin is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, central-eastern France. Geography The town of Tassin-la-Demi-Lune is located in the western suburbs of Lyon and is part of Lyon M ...
: Claudius Beaupied (12), shepherd from
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
* 24 August 1895 in Saint-Ours: Péronne Moraud (''née'' Baud; 68), farmer * 31 August 1895 in Onglas, near Bénonces: Victor Portalier (16), shepherd * 21 September 1895 in Saint-Étienne-de-Boulogne: Pierre Massot-Pellet (14), shepherd from
Marseille Marseille (; ; see #Name, below) is a city in southern France, the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region. Situated in the ...
* 23 September 1895 in Truinas: Aline Alaise (16), shepherd * 10 September 1896 in
Busset Busset is a commune in the Allier department in central France. Population See also *Communes of the Allier department The following is a list of the 317 Communes of France, communes of the Allier Departments of France, department of ...
: Marie Lorut (''née'' Moussier; 19), shepherd * 1 October 1896 in Varenne-Saint-Honorat: Rosine Rodier (14), shepherd * 19 June 1897 in Courzieu-la-Giraudière: Pierre Laurent (14), shepherd In some of the murders, false accusations were made by local residents and the press. Not long after the discovery of Eugénie Delhomme's body, farmer Louis François was arrested by police as a suspect. Eugène Grenier, a land owner in
Daix Daix () is a commune in the Côte-d'Or department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Côte-d'Or department The following is a list of the 698 communes of the Côte-d'Or department of France. The communes coopera ...
who employed victim Augustine Mortureux and one of the men who found her, was detained for 45 days after being publicly accused by ''Le Bourguignon Salé'' and ''
Le Bien Public ''Le Bien Public'' is a regional daily newspaper published in Dijon in north-east France. History and profile ''Le Bien Public'' was established in 1868. The paper is published by Groupe EBRA. The daily had a circulation of 52,200 copies in 1990 ...
'', with the locals outside the jail calling for him to be
lynched Lynching is an extrajudicial killing by a group. It is most often used to characterize informal public executions by a mob in order to punish an alleged or convicted transgressor or to intimidate others. It can also be an extreme form of in ...
. Even after he was released due to lack of evidence, Grenier and his family were treated as outcasts, with suspicions still remaining after Vacher's confessions two years later. Additionally, Vacher is suspected to have committed serial rapes in the départements of
Drôme Drôme (; Occitan: ''Droma''; Arpitan: ''Drôma'') is the southernmost department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of Southeastern France. Named after the river Drôme, it had a population of 516,762 as of 2019.
, Puy-de-Dôme, and
Isère Isère ( , ; ; , ) is a landlocked Departments of France, department in the southeastern French Regions of France, region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. Named after the river Isère (river), Isère, it had a population of 1,271,166 in 2019.
. A rape against a female juvenile in
Brioude Brioude (; Auvergnat: ''Briude'') is a commune in the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-central France. It lies on the banks of the river Allier, a tributary of the Loire. History At Brioude, the ancient ''Bri ...
during December 1896 was linked to Vacher.


Suspected

During his trial, Vacher was also accused of the following murders: * 18 July 1884 in Eclose: Joseph Amieux (10) * 26 June 1888 in
Joux Joux () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the Lyon Metropolis w ...
: Unidentified woman (35) * 1 July 1888 in Chambérat: Clémence Grangeon (14) * 30 June 1889 in Moirans: Augustine-Mélanie Perrin (23) * 29 September 1890 in Varacieux: Olympe Buisson (9) * 3 February 1892 in Rochegude: Élisabeth Laborel (53) (also robbed) * 22 October 1892 in
La Comelle La Comelle () is a Communes of France, commune in the Saône-et-Loire Departments of France, department in the Regions of France, region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It was the birthplace of Jeanne Baret, the first woman to circu ...
: Unidentified man, vagrant * 10 June, 1893 in La Romieu: Léa-Catherine Marie Anne Gourrange (7) * 24 February 1894 in Tencin: Jean-Baptiste Piraud * 6-7 December 1894 in Châteaudouble: Jean Honorat (75) and Marianne Perrimond (71), husband and wife (possibly committed with an accomplice) * 17 February 1895 in the arrondissement of Autun: "Jobey" Corneau (74) (also robbed) * 22-23 July, 1895 in Chambuet near Yenne: Mme Reynaud (64) * 7 September 1895 in
Montmort Montmort () is a commune in the Saône-et-Loire department in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in eastern France. It has a Romanesque church from the 11th century. See also *Communes of the Saône-et-Loire department *Pierre Raymond de Mo ...
: Francine Rouvray (30s) * 22 September 1895 in Four: Marguerite "Madeleine" Martelât (64) * 22 September 1895 in
Hauterives Hauterives () is a commune in the Drôme department in southeastern France. It is home to Ferdinand Cheval's self-made Palais idéal. Geography The Galaure flows southwest through the middle of the commune. Population See also *Communes o ...
: Mme Wassy * 22 December 1895 in La Baronnière, near
Guéret Guéret (; Occitan: ''Garait'') is a commune and the prefecture of the Creuse department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in central France. Geography Guéret is a light industrial town, the largest in the department, with a big woodland a ...
: Unnamed elderly woman * May-June 1896 in
Tain Tain ( ) is a royal burgh and parish in the County of Ross, in the Scottish Highlands, Highlands of Scotland. Etymology The name derives from the nearby River Tain, the name of which comes from an Indo-European root meaning 'flow'. The Gaelic n ...
: Unidentified man, vagrant * 22 August 1896 in
Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...
: Maria Clement (17) * 6-7 September 1896 between Chambost and
Sain-Bel Sain-Bel () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône department of France. This list does not includes the L ...
: Antoine Bonnassieux (58), chicken farmer (also robbed) * 26 September 1896 between Chissey-en-Morvan and
Moux-en-Morvan Moux-en-Morvan (, , Burgundian: ''Mô'', before 1988: ''Moux'') is a rural commune in the east of the Nièvre department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in central-east France. Bordering both Côte-d'Or and Saône-et-Loire, it is part ...
: Marguerite Charlot (''née'' Renaud; 66) * 27 September 1896 in
Allègre Allègre (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Haute-Loire Departments of France, department in south-central France. Population Sights * Château d'Allègre: ruined castle, protected since 1935 as a ''monument historique'' Personalit ...
: Marie Monatte (60), washerwoman * 29 October 1896 in Parnans: Marie Ageron (65) * 11-12 November 1896 in
Brive Brive-la-Gaillarde (; Limousin dialect of ), commonly known as simply Brive, is a commune of France. It is a sub-prefecture and the largest city of the Corrèze department. It has around 46,000 inhabitants, while the population of the agglome ...
: Louradour, soldier * 23 November 1896 in Baume-d'Hostun: Mme Montfort * 22-23 February 1897 in
Lacaune Lacaune (; , meaning ''the cave'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Tarn (department), Tarn Departments of France, department in southern France. Geography The river Gijou has its source in the commune. History In 1797, the feral child ...
: Célestin Gautrais (39), vagrant from Bourberain * 18 March 1897 in
Belfort Belfort (; archaic , ) is a city in northeastern France, situated approximately from the Swiss border. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort. Belfort is from Paris and from Basel. The residents of the city ...
: Adrienne Reuillard (9) * 5 April 1897 between
Vienne-le-Château Vienne-le-Château () is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. History The village dates back to the 6th century when it was the possession of the Bishop of Verdun. A castle stood on a hill in the west of the town. It was ...
and
Binarville Binarville () is a commune of the Marne department in northeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Marne department The following is a list of the 610 communes in the French department of Marne. The communes cooperate in ...
: Thérèse Ply (19), woodworker * 11 April 1897 in Les Haïes: Geneviève Heymein (''née'' Cadet, 68) * 1 May 1897 between Chaumont-la-Ville and Vrécourt: Jeanne-Elise-Clémentine Henrion (14), seamstress * 18 May 1897 in
Communay Communay () is a commune in the Rhône department in eastern France. It is around 15 km south of the centre of Lyon. Population See also *Communes of the Rhône department The following is a list of the 208 communes of the Rhône de ...
: François Castigliano (66), busker, originally from Alpette, Italy * 16 June 1897 in Raimbeaucourt: Amélie Debreuille * 6 July 1897 in Volvent: Jean Marie Lagier (''née'' Faure; 60) * 23-24 July 1897 in Coux: Mélanie Victoire Laville (''née'' Vianet; 61), pub owner (possibly committed with an accomplice) False arrests were made in at least two of the murders. A shop owner named Thalmann was briefly detained for the murder of Adrienne Reuillard and forced out of town by locals after he could not be tied to the scene. In the murder of Jeanne Henrion a man surnamed Munier was incriminated by witness Montchablon for returning a day after the killing with scratches on his face. It was found that Munier had, on the day following Henrion's death, attempted to rape a young Swiss girl, who "fell ill and died" after the act. The judicial error accusing him of the Henrion murder led to his exoneration on both charges, after which locals shunned him and his family. A public poster published titled "52 Crimes: Attributed to Vacher or confessed by him" listed his tentative offenses as 46 murders, three attempted murders, two attempted rapes and connection to one disappearance, though with several misspelled names and other mistakes, such as placing the murder of Joseph Amieux, who was killed in 1884, in 1894. In addition to Louise Barant, Vacher was alleged to have made the following murder attempts: * 1 July 1888 in Saint-Pal-de-Chalençon: Unidentified woman, sherpherd (occurred after the Grangeon murder) * 17 May 1894 in Roches: Victorine Gay (''née'' Gueyfier; 55), gardener (also attempted rape) * 18 May 1894 in Roches: Mme Eydan, gardener (also attempted rape) * 19 May 1894 in Roches: Mélanie Pallas (''née'' Jay), gardener (also attempted rape) * 31 March 1895 in
Saint-Fons Saint-Fons (; , ) is a commune in the Metropolis of Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, eastern France. It was created in 1888 from part of the commune of Vénissieux. Population See also *Communes of the Metropolis of Lyon The following is a lis ...
: Antoinette-Augustine Marchand (28), saleswoman * 14 April 1895 in
Lyon Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...
or
Dijon Dijon (, ; ; in Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Digion'') is a city in and the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Côte-d'Or Departments of France, department and of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Regions of France, region in eas ...
: Unnamed woman, orange vendor (also attempted rape) * 15 or 20 August 1895 in
Belley Belley (; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Bèlê'') is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture of the Ain Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region, France. It is the capital of the historical regi ...
: Alexandre Léger (7), shepherd * 25 February 1896 in Nouans: Mlle de L. (38) (also attempted rape) * 1 March 1896 in Noyen: Alphonsine Derouet (11) (also attempted rape) * 30 September 1896 in Varenne-Saint-Honorat: Alphonse Rodier (13), shepherd * 17 October 1896 in
Job Work, labor (labour in Commonwealth English), occupation or job is the intentional activity people perform to support the needs and desires of themselves, other people, or organizations. In the context of economics, work can be seen as the huma ...
: Mme Gouttebel * November 1896 in Riousset near Brugeron: Marie Dubreuil (''née'' Roure) (robbed) * 12-15 February 1897 in Couloubrac near Lacaune: Blavy and Chalbert, domestic servants * 17 February 1897 in Couloubrac: Suzanne Cabrol (''née'' Fabre; 65) * 26 April 1897 in Graffigny: Léonie Soyer (18), glovemaker * 1 May 1897 in Daillecourt and Vrécourt: Blanche Humbert (15), shepherd, and Mme Henriot (occurred before the Henrion murder) * 18 July 1897 in Rochemaure: Marguerite Siratat (''née'' Epp; 61) * 21 July 1897 in Baix: Marie-Eugénie Malartre (''née'' Durieu; 60s) and her son * 21 July 1897 in Darbres: Marie Vantalon (28), Henri Marnas (8) and Louis Delhomme (14), shepherds * 25 July 1897 in Valettes near
Flaviac Flaviac () is a commune in the Ardèche department in southern France. Population International relations Flaviac is twinned with: * Bistagno, Italy * Spinone al Lago, Italy See also *Communes of the Ardèche department The following ...
: Maria Pradal (18-20), silk factory worker * 4 August 1897 in
Champis Champis is a soft drink created by Robert Roberts in 1918. It was sold already in 1910, but then under a different name. The recipe is secret and the extract is produced by Roberts in Örebro and sold to breweries who prepare and distribute the ...
: Fanny Issartel (16), shepherd * 4 August 1897 in Champis: Marie-Eugénie Héraud (28) American newspapers would somewhat exaggerate Vacher's killings, reporting the high end estimation of 38 possible victims as fact. The newspapers also named victims that are not mentioned in surviving French newspapers nor alleged by court or investigators. One of the most widely shared, yet unconfirmed cases of this kind is the supposed murder of a French nobleman, named only as the "Marquis de Villeplaine", who had fallen victim to a fatal robbery during a park walk near the French-Spanish border. After his execution, it was widely reported by the same sources that Vacher was a self-admitted
anarchist Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...
, after proclaiming during a prison transport that he was "the anarchist of God" and his murders related to his "oppos
tion Tion is a given name and may refer to: * Tion Green (born 1993), an American football running back * Tion Otang, an I-Kiribati bureaucrat *Tion Wayne Dennis Junior Odunwo (born 1 September 1993), known professionally as Tion Wayne, is a Britis ...
to society, no matter what form of government may be".


Legacy

Vacher's place in French
social history Social history, often called history from below, is a field of history that looks at the lived experience of the past. Historians who write social history are called social historians. Social history came to prominence in the 1960s, spreading f ...
is similar to Jack the Ripper's place in British social history.


In popular culture

* In
1976 Events January * January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
French filmmaker
Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...
made a film called '' Le juge et l'assassin'' (The Judge and the Murderer) that was inspired by Vacher's story. The name of the murderer, played by
Michel Galabru Michel Louis Edmond Galabru (27 October 19224 January 2016) was a French actor. Career Galabru appeared in more than 250 films and worked with directors such as Bertrand Blier, Costa-Gavras, Luc Besson (for '' Subway''), and Jean-Luc Godard. ...
, is slightly changed into "Joseph Bouvier" (in French, the words ''bouvier'' and ''vacher'' describe the same profession, herdsman). * In the 1949 novel ''
The Sheltering Sky ''The Sheltering Sky'' is a 1949 novel of alienation and existential despair by American writer and composer Paul Bowles. Plot The story centers on Port Moresby and his wife Kit, a married couple originally from New York who travel to the Nor ...
'' by
Paul Bowles Paul Frederic Bowles (; December 30, 1910November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his ...
, in a private dialogue with her husband Port, the character Kit Morseby says of the Eric Lyle character: "He looks like a young Vacher". * In the episode "Probable Cause" of the TV series ''
Castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...
'', serial killer 3XK uses Vacher's name as an alias. * In the film ''
Psychopathia Sexualis '': '' (''Sexual Psychopathy: A Clinical-Forensic Study'', also known as '', with Especial Reference to the Antipathetic Sexual Instinct: A Medico-forensic Study'') is an 1886 book by and one of the first texts about sexual pathology. The boo ...
'' Vacher is the first case study of a sexual mental illness presented. * In the video game ''
Genshin Impact ''Genshin Impact'' is a 2020 action role-playing game produced by MiHoYo, MiHoYo/HoYoverse. The game features an anime-style open world environment and an action-based Role-playing battle systems, battle system using Classical element, element ...
'', the character "Vacher" (Marcel) during the Fontaine Archon Quest is inspired by the real-life Vacher.


See also

*
Jack the Ripper Jack the Ripper was an unidentified serial killer who was active in and around the impoverished Whitechapel district of London, England, in 1888. In both criminal case files and the contemporaneous journalistic accounts, the killer was also ...
*
List of French serial killers A list is a set of discrete items of information collected and set forth in some format for utility, entertainment, or other purposes. A list may be memorialized in any number of ways, including existing only in the mind of the list-maker, but ...


Notes


Citations


General bibliography

* Lacassagne, Alexandre, ''Vacher l'éventreur et les crimes sadiques'', 189
On-line
(French) * Bouchardon, Pierre, ''Vacher l'éventreur'', Albin Michel, 1939, 252 p. * Deloux, Jean-Pierre, ''Vacher l'éventreur'', E/dite Histoire, 2000 (1995), 191 p. (Main source used to improve this article) * Garet, Henri and Tavernier, René, ''Le juge et l'assassin'', Presses de la cité, 1976, 315 p. * Kershaw, Alister. ''Murder in France'', Constable, London, 1955, 188 p. * Lane, Brian. "Encyclopedia of Serial Killers", Diamond Books, 1994. * Koq. ''La peau de Vacher'', Edilivre, 2013, 404p. * Starr, Douglas: ''The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science''. Alfred A. Knopf, New York 2010. ard cover, 300 p
Book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vacher, Joseph 1869 births 1898 deaths 19th-century executions by France 19th-century French military personnel Executed French serial killers French murderers of children French people convicted of murder French rapists Necrophiles People convicted of murder by France People executed by the French Third Republic by guillotine People from Grenoble