Murderpedia has thousands of hours of work behind it. To keep creating
new content, we kindly appreciate any donation you can give to help
the Murderpedia project stay alive. We have many
plans and enthusiasm
to keep expanding and making Murderpedia a better site, but we really
need your help for this. Thank you very much in advance.
Jeanne
WEBER
A.K.A.: "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.
