Jeanne WEBER
AKA "The Ogress"
Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Transient baby-sitter who strangled children in her care
Number of victims: 1 - 10
Date of murder: 1905 - 1908
Date of arrest: May 1908
Date of birth: October 7, 1874
Victims profile: Children, including her own
Method of murder: Strangulation
Location: France
Status: Declared insane on October 25, 1908, packed off to the asylum at Mareville. Died on July 5, 1918
Jeanne Weber (7 October 1874 – 1910) was a French serial killer. She strangled 10 children, including her own. She was convicted of murder in 1908, and declared insane. She hanged herself two years later.
Early life
Born in a small fishing village in northern France, Weber left home for Paris at age 14, working various menial jobs until her marriage in 1893. Her husband was an alcoholic, and two of their three children died in 1905. By then, Weber was also drinking heavily, residing in a seedy Paris tenement with her spouse and her seven-year-old son.
Murders
On 2 March 1905, Weber was babysitting for her sister-in-law, when one of the woman's two daughters — 18-month-old Georgette — suddenly "fell ill" and died. Strange bruises on her neck were ignored by the examining physician, and Weber was welcomed back to babysit on 11 March. Two-year-old Suzanne did not survive the visit, but a doctor blamed the second death on unexplained "convulsions."
Weber was babysitting for her brother, on 25 March, when his daughter, seven-year-old Germaine, suffered a sudden attack of "choking," complete with red marks on her throat. The child survived that episode, but she was less fortunate the following day, when Weber returned. Diphtheria was blamed for her death, and for that of Weber's son, Marcel, just four days later. Once again, the tell-tale marks of strangulation were ignored.
On 5 April 1905, Weber invited two of her sisters-in-law to dinner, remaining home with 10-year-old nephew Maurice while the other women went out shopping. They returned prematurely, to find Maurice gasping on the bed, his throat mottled with bruises, Jeanne standing over him with a crazed expression on her face. Charges were filed, and Weber's trial opened on 29 January 1906, with the prosecution alleging eight murders, including all three of Weber's own children and two others — Lucie Aleandre and Marcel Poyatos — who had died while in her care. It was alleged that Weber killed her son in March to throw suspicion off, but Weber was being defended by the brilliant defense lawyer Henri-Robert, and jurors were reluctant to believe the worst about a grieving mother. She was acquitted on 6 February.
Fourteen months later, on 7 April 1907, a physician from the town of Villedieu was summoned to the home of a peasant named Bavouzet. He was greeted at the door by a babysitter, "Madame Moulinet," who led him to the cot where nine-year-old Auguste Bavouzet lay dead, his throat badly bruised. The cause of death was listed as "convulsions," but the doctor changed his opinion on 4 May, when "Madame Moulinet" was identified as Jeanne Weber. Weber engaged the lawyer Henri-Robert once more. Held over for trial, Weber was released in December, after a second autopsy blamed the boy's death on typhoid.
Weber quickly dropped from sight, surfacing next as an orderly at a children's hospital in Faucombault, moving on from there to the Children's Home in Orgeville, run by friends who sought to "make up for the wrongs that justice has inflicted upon an innocent woman." Working as "Marie Lemoine," Weber had been on the job for less than a week when she was caught strangling a child in the home. The owners quietly dismissed her and the incident was covered up.
Back in Paris, Weber was arrested for vagrancy and briefly confined to the asylum at Nanterre, but doctors there pronounced her sane and set her free. She drifted into prostitution, picking up a common-law husband along the way. On 8 May 1908, the couple settled at an inn in Commercy. A short time later, Weber was found strangling the innkeeper's son, 10-year-old Marcel Poirot, with a bloody handkerchief. The father had to punch her three times in the face before she would release the lifeless body.
Death
Held for trial on murder charges, Weber was declared insane on 25 October 1908, packed off to the asylum at Mareville. Credited with at least ten murders, she survived two years in captivity before manually strangling herself in 1910.
Weber, Jeanne
Born during 1875, at a small fishing village in northern France, Weber left home for Paris at age 14, working various menial jobs until her marriage in 1893.
Her husband was a drunkard, and by 1905, with two of their three children lately deceased, Jeanne was also drinking heavily, residing in a seedy Paris tenement with her spouse and a seven-year-old son.
On March 2, 1905, Weber was babysitting for her sister-in-law, when one of the woman's two daughters -- 18-month-old Georgette -- suddenly "fell ill" and died. Strange bruises on her neck were ignored by the examining physician, and Jeanne was welcomed back to babysit on March 11.
Two-year-old Suzanne did not survive the visit, but a doctor blamed the second death on unexplained "convulsions." Weber was babysitting for her brother, on March 25, when his daughter, seven-year-old Germaine, suffered a sudden attack of "choking," complete with red marks on her throat.
The child survived that episode, but she was less fortunate the following day, when Aunt Jeanne returned. Diptheria was blamed for her death -- and for that of Weber's son, Marcel, just four days later. Once again, the tell-tale marks of strangulation were ignored.
On April 5, 1905, Weber invited two of her sisters-in-law to dinner, remaining home with 10-year-old nephew Maurice while the other women went out shopping. They returned prematurely, to find Maurice gasping on the bed, his throat mottled with bruises, Jeanne standing over him with a crazed expression on her face.
Charges were filed, and Weber's trial opened on January 29, 1906, with the prosecution alleging eight murders, including all three of Weber's own children and two others -- Lucie Aleandre and Marcel Poyatos -- who had died while in her care.
It was alleged that Weber killed her son in March to throw suspicion off, but jurors were reluctant to believe the worst about a grieving mother, and Weber was acquitted on February 6. Fourteen months later, on April 7, 1907, a physician from the town of Villedieu was summoned to the home of a peasant named Bavouzet.
He was greeted at the door by a babysitter, "Madame Moulinet," who led him to the cot where nine-year-old Auguste Bavouzet lay dead, his throat badly bruised. The cause of death was listed as "convulsions," but the doctor changed his tune on May 4, when "Madame Moulinet" was identified as Jeanne Weber.
Held over for trial, Weber was released in December, after a second autopsy blamed the boy's death on "typhoid." Weber quickly dropped from sight, surfacing next as an orderly at a children's hospital in Faucombault, moving on from there to the Children's Home in Orgeville, run by friends who sought to "make up for the wrongs that justice has inflicted upon an innocent woman." Working as "Marie Lemoine," Weber had been on the job for less than a week when she was caught strangling a child in the home.
Embarrassed by their own naivete, the owners quietly dismissed her and the incident was covered up. Back in Paris, Weber was arrested for vagrancy and briefly confined to the asylum at Nantere, but doctors there pronounced her sane and set her free. She drifted into prostitution, picking up a common-law husband along the way, and on May 8, 1908, the couple settled at an inn in Commercy. A short time later, Jeanne was found strangling the innkeeper's son, 10-year-old Marcel Poirot, with a bloody handkerchief.
The father had to punch her three times in the face, with all his might, before she would release the lifeless body. Held for trial on murder charges, Weber was declared insane on October 25, 1908, packed off to the asylum at Mareville. Credited with at least ten murders, she survived two years in captivity before manually strangling herself in 1910.
Michael Newton - An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers - Hunting Humans
French Child Care Provider, Jeanne Weber, Murdered 7 Children - 1908
UnknownMisandry.blogspot.com
“‘The Fatal Woman.’ - Mystery Of Seven Infants’ Deaths.”
From Paris Daily Mail, The Daily Mail (London, England)
May 11, 1908
A seventh child has died in the arms of Jeanne Weber, the “ogress,” who has thrice been tried and thrice acquitted on charges of strangling infants. Six babies, including two of her own, died while in her charge.
The woman’s amazing record is as follows:
August 1905.—Accused by her relatives of strangling her two children, one seven years old, the other a baby of three months. Acquitted.
January 1906.—Accused of murdering her three nieces, Suzanne, three years old; Georgette, eighteen months old; and Gerraaine, seven months old. Accused of attempting to kill her nephew Maurice, aged eleven months. Acquitted of all charges.
January 1908.—Accused of murdering Augusto Bavouzet, aged nine. Acquitted.
May 1908.—Accused of murdering Marcel Poirot aged seven.
In every case but the last great difficulty was experienced in establishing the exact cause of the victim’s death. Some of the bodies bore only faint marks on the nock, others had no injuries. Doctors disputed in each case as to the cause of death. Some maintained that the “ogress” had killed her victims by pressing heavily on their chests, while others declared that the “ fatal woman,” as she came to be called, was the most unhappy victim of coincidence.
This time, according to all reports, there is no doubt that the boy Poirot met a violent death. The tragedy occurred at Commercy, in the east of France, where Jeanne Weber, under an assumed name, arrived a few days ago in the company of a tramp. The pair had money, and took a room in the house of M. Poirot. On Thursday the man left, and Jeanne Weber, saying that she was afraid to sleep alone, begged her hosts to let their child share her room. The request was granted, but when it was renewed on Friday the child showed evident reluctance to accompany the woman. Eventually the boy’s parents persuaded him to go.
Sleeping in the next room to Jeanne Weber’s was a woman named Guirlet.
“About eleven o’clock,” Mme. Guirlet says.
“I heard strange sobs and smothered screams from the next room. I got up quickly and went to M. and Mme. Poirot and told them that something was wrong.
“We all went together to Jeanne Weber’s room and opened the door. The little boy lay dead in the bed, with his head thrown back and his eyes protruding. His tongue was bitten and had been bleeding.
“Jeanne Weber lay sound asleep, with one arm round the corpse and with bloodstains on her night attire. The screams and lamentations of M. and Mme. Poirot aroused the sleeper, who gazed at the dead boy in a sodden, stupefied manner, and when accused of killing him said she did not know what had happened.”
The police were called and searched the room. They found in the bed three bloodstained handkerchiefs twisted into knots. Bloodstains were also found an the floor, but an attempt had been made to wash these out.
One of the four doctors who have examined the body of the child declares that, in his opinion, the child died at the hands of a human vampire, of the kind described in fiction and very rarely occurring in actual life.
Jeanne Weber’s real name only became known after she had been arrested and placed in a cell. The authorities are making haste to bring on the woman’s trial as soon as possible.
*****
“Ogress’s Fate - Murderess of Many Children Sent to a Lunatic Asylum.”
Lloyd’s Weekly News (London, England)
Nov. 29, 1908
The woman Jeanne Weber, whom some months ago acquired a sinister notoriety as "The Ogress," has been found guilty of strangling several children, but as the medical experts regard her as not responsible for her actions she will be consigned to a lunatic asylum.
Jeanne Weber has since August, 1905, been accused of murdering no fewer than seven children, and has three times been acquitted. Two of the victims were her own children, and three were her nieces.
The boy Marcel Poirot, aged seven, of whose murder she has now been convicted, was killed with great cruelty. Under an assumed name Weber lodged at his parents’ house, and saying that she was afraid to sleep alone begged that the boy might share her room. In the night strange sounds were heard. and going to the room the parents found their child dead, having evidently been strangled.
In the cases of the other children there was much difficulty in establishing the precise cause of death, and since the first trial public opinion in France has been sharply divided regarding the woman's guilt.
