Chilling new photos show grinning French serial killer 'Dr Satan' on trial after murdering 60 people

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Photos that show the notorious French serial killer nicknamed Dr Satan, who murdered at least 60 people, grinning during his trial are now up for auction.

Marcel Petiot was a respected doctor in France until his horrific murders were uncovered during World War II.

The 'Jekyll and Hyde' killer, who claimed he was a Resistance fighter who had only killed enemies of France - was convicted of multiple murders after the discovery of the remains of 23 people in the basement.

Among Petiot's most sickening crimes was his business venture during WWII - called Fly-Tox, where he offered transportation for fleeing Jews to South America, promising to keep them safe from Nazi-occupied France. 

The killer would inject those willing to pay for transportation with what he called disease preventing inoculation sanctioned by Argentinian officials.

In actual fact the disgraced doctor was injecting poison into desperate Jews, hoarding their possessions and cash and then burning the bodies in his basement furnace.

The notorious killer nicknamed Dr Satan who killed at least 60 people grinned at his gruesome crimes during his trial in Paris in 1946, in rare photos now up for auction

The notorious killer nicknamed Dr Satan who killed at least 60 people grinned at his gruesome crimes during his trial in Paris in 1946, in rare photos now up for auction

During the trial, lawyers peer into the basement where dozens of bodies were hidden by the notorious killer. Petiot's neighbours had noticed a foul stench coming from nearby and police uncovered 23 bodies scattered in the underground chamber. Some of the victims were being burned in a coal stove and others were found in a quicklime pit in the doctor's back yard

 During the trial, lawyers peer into the basement where dozens of bodies were hidden by the notorious killer. Petiot's neighbours had noticed a foul stench coming from nearby and police uncovered 23 bodies scattered in the underground chamber. Some of the victims were being burned in a coal stove and others were found in a quicklime pit in the doctor's back yard

Marcel Petiot was a respected doctor in France until his horrific murders were uncovered during World War II

Marcel Petiot was a respected doctor in France until his horrific murders were uncovered during World War II

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Share Petiot, pictured in the courtroom, was beheaded in Paris in 1946, leaving behind a trail of sadistic crimes that began from his teens

Petiot, pictured in the courtroom, was beheaded in Paris in 1946, leaving behind a trail of sadistic crimes that began from his teens

Petiot landed positions within government, the military and medical sphere - going on to launder money, abuse the vulnerable and kill

Petiot landed positions within government, the military and medical sphere - going on to launder money, abuse the vulnerable and kill 

Workmen in the La Sante prison courtyard clean and dismantle the guillotine in 1946, after the execution of the convicted serial killer, with bloodstains visible on the pavement

Workmen in the La Sante prison courtyard clean and dismantle the guillotine in 1946, after the execution of the convicted serial killer, with bloodstains visible on the pavement

The hellish crimes of 'Dr Satan' 

Marcel Petiot's deviant behaviour was first noticed aged 11 when he fired his father's gun at school and asked a female pupil to have sex with him.

He also robbed a postbox and had a number of run-ins with police at a young age, leading to him being expelled and undergoing a psychiatric examination.

He served in WWI but stole a number of items and was diagnosed with schizophrenia and manic depression, only for him to return to the front line.

Petiot had a long history of crime and mental illness

Petiot had a long history of crime and mental illness

Despite his history of mental instability, he found work in medicine in Villeneuve and proved so popular he was elected mayor.

But he was suspended for fraud in 1930 and then a number of his patients started dying in mysterious circumstances.

After he was removed as mayor, he was elected as a local councillor being he moved to Paris and again had a good reputation while secretly committing awful crimes.

During WWII, Petiot poisoned Jews trying to escape war-torn Europe with cyanide. After watching them die, he stole their possessions and burned their bodies, dumped them in the Seine or submerged them in quicklime.

He was ironically accused of helping Jews by the Gestpao in Vichy France and was arrested and jailed for several months.

Eventually the bodies of his victims were found in his basement, and Petiot went on the run, hiding with friends while claiming the Gestapo wanted him for killing Germans and informers.

He was arrested in 1944 and maintained his innocence until the end, saying he had only killed Germans.

Police estimated he had pocketed 200million Francs from his thefts. 

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A set of rare photos, valued between £150 to £200 are up for auction on December 16 at Dominic Winter Auction house in Cirencester.

The images capture the defining moments of Petiot's murder trial in Paris.

Diagnosed as mentally ill Petiot can be seen grinning from the dock as lawyers attempt to unravel his long history of crime and deception.

He was suspected of the murder of dozens of people during his lifetime and the true number remains unknown.

Petiot was beheaded in Paris in 1946, leaving behind a trail of sadistic crimes that began from his teenage years.

He was convicted of 26 murders and sentenced to death by guillotine, although he maintained he was innocent until the end.

Petiot claimed to have killed at least 60 Germans and collaborators between 1940 and 1945 while involved with the Resistance. 

He claimed until his death that he had only killed France's enemies and was a victim of the Gestapo wanting revenge for him capturing Germans.

His lawyer even tried to portray him as a Resistance hero in court. 

But he was convicted after prominent figures in the wartime resistance said they had never heard of him or his attacks on 'collaborators' 

Petiot had previously landed positions within government, the military and medical sphere - going on to launder money, abuse the vulnerable and kill.

Born in 1897 in Auxerre, Petiot was guilty of minor crimes as a youngster before before enlisting in the French army to serve during WW1.

After psychiatric ward treatment, Petiot re-joined the army only to shoot himself in the foot - eventually landing himself back in for mental treatment and eventually being discharged from duty on disability.

Petiot went on to earn a medical degree and open his own practice in 1921 - gaining a reputation as a corrupt doctor after repeatedly receiving payments for his services from both patients and state medical funds. 

The dubious doctor was then linked to the disappearance of Louise Delaveau, the daughter of one of his patients that he had an affair relationship with. 

Police dismissed the accusations towards Petiot even after locals said they saw him load a rather large trunk into the back of his car.

Parisian Police eventually stumbled upon numerous bodies in the underground basement, after complaints of a hideous stench coming from his home near the Arc de Triomphe.

Neighbours had initially feared it was a fire and alerted police who found the basement filled with rotting corpses and burning bodies. 

After going into hiding for several months and further evidence disproving Petiot's status within the Resistance, he was again arrested in Paris after he was spotted at a Metro station and he was imprisoned in La Santé Prison.

Petiot's trial began March 19, 1946, facing 135 criminal charges all together.

He was executed by guillotine at La Sante Prison, which was France's standard method of capital punishment until its abolition in 1981.

The last person executed in France was Hamida Djanoubi in 1977, whose death was the last time a Western country's government killed a citizen by beheading.

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