FRIEDRICH HAARMANN A/K/A FRITZ HAARMANN "THE BUTCHER/VAMPIRE OF HANNOVER"
Fritz Haarmann was born in Hanover, Germany on October 25, 1879. He was charged with his lover, Hans Grans, with the murder of 27 boys and young men between 1918 and 1924. Fritz Haarmann's trial began on December 4, 1924, in Hanover, Germany for these murders. He was arrested for the murders on June 22, 1924. The manner of death of these victims was brutal, some by bites to the neck and others by strangulation and then the bodies were dismembered. Though it was never confirmed, there are rumors that Fritz sold some of the body parts from his victims as contraband meat, as his profession was a butcher.
The trial was spectacular, and it was one of the first major modern media events in Germany. Since the term "serial killer" was not yet used for such mass killings, the public and the press called Haarmann "wolfman", "vampire" and "The Wolfman". The trial involved over 200 witnesses. He was convicted of 24 murders, even though he is suspected of committing 27+ murders during this period. The trial lasted barely two weeks, and on December 19, 1924 he was convicted of 24 murders and acquitted of 3 that he had denied. His sentence was death for the 24 murders, and he was beheaded by guillotine on April 15, 1925 at the age of 45.
Haarmann's victims consisted mostly of young male commuters, runaways and some male prostitutes, that Fritz would pick up at Hanover's central railway station. What made the trial also so sensational was the fact that Haarmann was a well known Hanover police informant who often gave up other criminals to police investigators. Even though some of the victims were known to last be seen in Haarmann's company, it never occurred to the police that the serial killer was operating right under their noses. Haarmann's last words before he was beheaded was "I repent, but I do not fear death."
Fritz Haarmann was born in 1879, and was the sixth child of poor parents. Haarmann's father was angry and bizarre and tried to have Fritz committed to an asylum because he believed Fritz to be mentally deficient, but this action was never carried out. As a young man, Fritz involved himself in petty crimes as a petty thief, burglar and con artist. He was frequently arrested because of sloppy handiwork, and he served several short prison sentences. Just as World War I began in 1914, Fritz was convicted of a series of thefts and frauds. Fritz reverted to his criminal life and took advantage of the increase in crime in Germany because of poverty. Also at that time, the police in Hanover began to rely on Haarmann as an informant.
In 1919 when Friedel Rothe was last seen with Haarmann, the police found Haarmann at his apartment with a semi-naked teenage boy, which he was sentence to 9 months in prison for sexual assault of this boy. However, the police did a half-heated search of Haarmann's apartment for Friedel Rothe. Haarmann met a young runaway in 1919 named Hans Grans, who became Haarmann's lover, and after Haarmann served his 9 months in jail in 1920 for sexual assault, Grans moved in with Haarmann. Haarmann's victims were lured back to his apartment and most were killed by being bitten through the throat. All of Haarmann's victims were dismembered before they were discarded, usually in the Leine River.
Haarmann was arrested when numerous skeletal remains washed up downstream in the Leine River in May and June of 1924. The police dragged the river, and they eventually found over 500 human bones from at least 22 separate individuals. The police placed Haarmann under surveillance, and he was arrested on June 22, 1924, when he was observed prowling at Hanover's central station and he had tried to lure a young boy to his apartment. Haarmann's apartment walls were heavily bloodstained. Clothing and other personal items of his victims were found in Haarmann's apartment. When interrogated, Haarmann confessed to the raping, killing and mutilations of the missing youths since 1918. Haarmann was convicted of 24 of the 27 murders. Haarmann is suspected of killing other young men and boys, and it should be noted, that only a quarter of the personal items found in Haarmann's apartment belonged to the victims he was charged with killing.
Fritz Haarmann was born in Hanover, Germany on October 25, 1879. He was charged with his lover, Hans Grans, with the murder of 27 boys and young men between 1918 and 1924. Fritz Haarmann's trial began on December 4, 1924, in Hanover, Germany for these murders. He was arrested for the murders on June 22, 1924. The manner of death of these victims was brutal, some by bites to the neck and others by strangulation and then the bodies were dismembered. Though it was never confirmed, there are rumors that Fritz sold some of the body parts from his victims as contraband meat, as his profession was a butcher.
The trial was spectacular, and it was one of the first major modern media events in Germany. Since the term "serial killer" was not yet used for such mass killings, the public and the press called Haarmann "wolfman", "vampire" and "The Wolfman". The trial involved over 200 witnesses. He was convicted of 24 murders, even though he is suspected of committing 27+ murders during this period. The trial lasted barely two weeks, and on December 19, 1924 he was convicted of 24 murders and acquitted of 3 that he had denied. His sentence was death for the 24 murders, and he was beheaded by guillotine on April 15, 1925 at the age of 45.
Haarmann's victims consisted mostly of young male commuters, runaways and some male prostitutes, that Fritz would pick up at Hanover's central railway station. What made the trial also so sensational was the fact that Haarmann was a well known Hanover police informant who often gave up other criminals to police investigators. Even though some of the victims were known to last be seen in Haarmann's company, it never occurred to the police that the serial killer was operating right under their noses. Haarmann's last words before he was beheaded was "I repent, but I do not fear death."
Fritz Haarmann was born in 1879, and was the sixth child of poor parents. Haarmann's father was angry and bizarre and tried to have Fritz committed to an asylum because he believed Fritz to be mentally deficient, but this action was never carried out. As a young man, Fritz involved himself in petty crimes as a petty thief, burglar and con artist. He was frequently arrested because of sloppy handiwork, and he served several short prison sentences. Just as World War I began in 1914, Fritz was convicted of a series of thefts and frauds. Fritz reverted to his criminal life and took advantage of the increase in crime in Germany because of poverty. Also at that time, the police in Hanover began to rely on Haarmann as an informant.
In 1919 when Friedel Rothe was last seen with Haarmann, the police found Haarmann at his apartment with a semi-naked teenage boy, which he was sentence to 9 months in prison for sexual assault of this boy. However, the police did a half-heated search of Haarmann's apartment for Friedel Rothe. Haarmann met a young runaway in 1919 named Hans Grans, who became Haarmann's lover, and after Haarmann served his 9 months in jail in 1920 for sexual assault, Grans moved in with Haarmann. Haarmann's victims were lured back to his apartment and most were killed by being bitten through the throat. All of Haarmann's victims were dismembered before they were discarded, usually in the Leine River.
Haarmann was arrested when numerous skeletal remains washed up downstream in the Leine River in May and June of 1924. The police dragged the river, and they eventually found over 500 human bones from at least 22 separate individuals. The police placed Haarmann under surveillance, and he was arrested on June 22, 1924, when he was observed prowling at Hanover's central station and he had tried to lure a young boy to his apartment. Haarmann's apartment walls were heavily bloodstained. Clothing and other personal items of his victims were found in Haarmann's apartment. When interrogated, Haarmann confessed to the raping, killing and mutilations of the missing youths since 1918. Haarmann was convicted of 24 of the 27 murders. Haarmann is suspected of killing other young men and boys, and it should be noted, that only a quarter of the personal items found in Haarmann's apartment belonged to the victims he was charged with killing.