Doctor Marcel Petiot ranks as one of France's worst criminals. Falsely offering escape to South America for Jews, deserters and anyone wanting to avoid the Nazis, Petiot murdered more than 60 people. He chose his victims wisely in order to keep his dark deeds hidden - the people he killed wanted to disappear and, for a price, Petiot usually obliged. They never knew until far too late exactly what price they would pay.
Petiot's early years
Born in Auxerre in 1897, Petiot showed criminal tendencies from childhood. He was diagnosed as mentally ill in 1914, having been expelled from several schools for petty theft and disobedience. Following Petiot's arrest for robbing a postbox a court-appointed psychiatrist described him bluntly as "an abnormal youth suffering from personal and hereditary problems, which limit to a large degree his responsibility for his acts."
That didn't stop the French army conscripting him in 1915 during World War I. Nor did it stop Petiot from continuing his criminal career. He suffered injuries from shrapnel and poison gas while he served, and continued displaying psychological problems. He was sent to military rest homes where he repeatedly stole military supplies and other soldiers' personal property. He also dealt drugs
