Background
Marcel Petiot was a physician who ran a practice in Paris. During the German occupation, in 1941, he bought the house at 21 Rue Le Sueur, near the Arc de Triomphe.
During the occupation he presented himself as the organiser of an escape network for people wishing to flee the Germans or the Vichy authorities.
What happened
Using the alias 'Dr. Eugène', Petiot told people there was a route to Argentina or elsewhere in South America via Portugal, for 25,000 francs per person. Three associates sent clients to him. He told them they needed inoculations before travelling, brought them to the house, and took their valuables. Those who came included Jewish people, Resistance members and ordinary criminals.
On 11 March 1944, neighbours reported a bad smell and heavy smoke from the chimney. Firefighters entered the house and found human remains in the basement.
During the investigation Petiot tried to present himself as someone serving the Resistance. His defence rested on the claim that the victims were Germans and collaborators, but the court rejected it. Hundreds of items, including suitcases and clothing, were produced as evidence. In France the case is remembered as one of the best-known crimes to have exploited the desperation of people living under occupation.
During the investigation Petiot tried to present himself as someone serving the Resistance. His defence rested on the claim that the victims were Germans and collaborators, but the court rejected it. Hundreds of items, including suitcases and clothing, were produced as evidence. In France the case is remembered as one of the best-known crimes to have exploited the desperation of people living under occupation.
Investigation and trial
Petiot went into hiding and later served as a captain in the French Forces of the Interior under the name 'Henri Valéry'. He was recognised in a Paris Métro station and arrested on 31 October 1944.
His trial opened on 19 March 1946. Prosecutors charged him with at least 27 murders, while Petiot claimed he had killed only Germans and collaborators. The court found him guilty of 26 murders and sentenced him to death. He was guillotined on 25 May 1946.
Legacy
The true number of victims was never established, and estimates run well above the 26 for which he was convicted. The case remains a reminder in France of how crime exploited the desperation of the occupation years. Many of those who died had set out only to reach safety.