charitable nature. According to Olivier, he had sat down at a desk after being handed a pen and paper, but turned to his host after becoming perplexed when Denke dictated "Adolph, du fetter Wanst!" ("Adolph, you fat slob!"), just in time to see him in the process of raising a pickaxe to strike Olivier's head. The victim managed to duck, receiving an deep gash (8 cm in length and 2 cm wide) to the temple before he was able to wrestle the weapon from Denke in the ensuing struggle. Olivier escaped through the front door, screaming that a "madman" was trying to kill him, attracting the attention of neighbors, who then alerted the authorities. Initially, Olivier's testimony was disregarded on account of Denke's reputation among townsfolk, leading to his arrest for vagrancy and panhandling. The judge, however, insisted on further investigation of Olivier's claims, whereupon Denke was taken in for questioning. He was placed in a holding cell, where he hanged himself just hours later with an unspecified ligature (the exact nature of which varies from account to account) before an interrogation could take place. In light of this, Denke's home was searched and police found the gruesome truth of his murders and cannibalism. While the exact number of his victims is unknown, Denke's ledger had 31 names recorded (including Olivier, the escaped victim), confirming at least 30 victims. But due to the large number of body parts found in his home, Denke's body count was estimated to be as high as 42 or even higher. A detailed report of what was found includes: sixteen femurs, with one pair of remarkably strong ones, two pairs of very thin ones, six pairs and two left femurs fifteen medium-sized pieces of long bones four pairs of elbow bones seven heads of radii nine lower parts of radii eight lower parts of the elbow a pair of upper shinbone a pair of lower elbows and radii, of which extremities still remain well connected a pair of upper arms and a pair of upper arm heads a pair of collar bones two shoulder blades eight heels and ankle bones 120 toes and phalanx 65 feet and metacarpal bones five first ribs and 150 pieces of ribs Decades later, Denke's case remains mostly forgotten. Still much about Denke's life, motives, methods, and the exact number of victims remains unknown. Even the only known photograph of