proof of any of his claimed exploits. Prosecutors eventually charged him with at least 27 murders for profit. Their estimate of his gains was as much as 200 million francs. Petiot was tried on 19 March 1946, accused of 135 criminal charges. Celebrity attorney René Floriot acted for the defense, against a team comprising state prosecutors and twelve civil lawyers hired by relatives of Petiot's victims. Petiot taunted the prosecuting lawyers, and claimed that various victims had been collaborators or double agents, or that vanished people were alive and well in South America using new names. He admitted to killing 19 of the 27 victims found in his house, and claimed that they were Germans and collaborators – part of a total of 63 "enemies" killed. Floriot attempted to portray Petiot as a Resistance hero, but the judges and jurors were unimpressed. Petiot was convicted of 26 counts of murder, and sentenced to death. On 25 May 1946, Petiot was beheaded, after a stay of a few days due to a problem with the release mechanism of the guillotine, and buried at Ivry Cemetery. In popular culture Petiot's murder of Jews and his fraudulent escape network were depicted by the 1990 French movie Docteur Petiot that chronicles his life between 1941 and 1944. Petiot was portrayed by actor Michel Serrault. The Butcher of Paris, written by Stephanie Phillips with art by Dean Kotz, is a 2019 five-issue comic book mini-series that dramatized the investigation, arrest, and eventual conviction of Petiot. See also Carlingue John Bodkin Adams Thomas Neill Cream Hawley Harvey Crippen H. H. Holmes William Palmer (murderer) Maxim Petrov Harold Shipman Michael Swango List of serial killers by number of victims References Bibliography Tomlins Marilyn Z. (2013) Die in Paris, Raven Crest Books, London: Jourdan Edouard (2017) Devil's Score: A tale of decadent omen, Amazon Publishing External links Tomlins, Marilyn Z. "Dr. Petiot Will See You Now" in Crime magazine 1897 births 1946 deaths 20th-century French criminals Burials at Ivry Cemetery Executed French people Executed French serial killers Antisemitic attacks and incidents in Europe Executed people from Burgundy French male criminals French military personnel of World War I French murderers of children French people convicted of murder French people convicted of tax crimes French people of World War II French politicians Male serial killers Medical practitioners convicted of murdering their patients Medical serial killers People convicted of murder by