Peter Kürten — The Vampire of Düsseldorf

Peter Kürten was a German serial killer who terrorized Düsseldorf in 1929, committing a series of murders and sexual assaults so violent and frequent that the city lived in a state of mass panic. He attacked at least nine victims with knives, scissors, a hammer, and his hands, and was known to drink the blood of some of his victims. Kürten's crimes inspired the 1931 Fritz Lang film "M." He was captured in May 1930 after his wife, to whom he had confessed, reported him to police in exchange for a reward. Kürten was convicted of nine murders and six attempted murders and guillotined in July 1931.