The Vampire of Versailles

Antoine Leger was the culprit of killing a 12 year old girl and feeding on her blood.  Antoine Leger was originally a wine grower and a former soldier.  He was rebellious at his young age.  In June of 1823 Leger decided to ran away from home and live in a forest where he stayed in a cave and consume wild fruits in able to survive.  Accounts said that Leger stayed there for weeks.  During his stay on the forest his taste for blood develops, a day came when he encountered a love rabbit that he decided to eat the poor rabbit raw. Antoine Leger felt a sudden desire to eat a human flesh and taste their blood upon having a chance to eat a raw animal.

One day Antoine Leger saw a girl on the outskirt of the forest, he lured her to his cave where he sucked her blood and killed her, and he buried the body of the 12 year old girl after.  After three days, Leger was captured by the authorities, but he denied the allegations.  He claimed that they are making unbelievable stories, but upon seeing the body of the deceased girl, he broke down and confessed to the crime that he committed.  When he was able to calm himself he relayed the details of the crime.

During the trial, Antoine Leger shows no sign of repentance for killing the girl but something change when she saw the mother of the kid.  He cried and told the people inside the court that he regrets the time that he has to take away the kid away from her Mom.  He also asked the Mother for forgiveness.  He was sentenced to die on guillotine on June 1824.

Antoine Leger’s head was later given to Dr. Esquirol and Dr. Gall for further examination.  They apparently said that the guy is suffering from a mental disorder.  They claimed that he was not as he was branded “a great criminal” and a “cannibal” but a mental patient that should be treated in the mental institution.  It’s just unfortunate that he is already dead.

James Cowles Prichard wrote about the life of Antoine Leger and gave him the moniker “The Vampire of Versailles”.