Michel Peiry

Serial Killer

Michel Peiry: The "Sadist of Romont"

Background

Michel Peiry is a Swiss serial killer whose crimes occurred between 1981 and 1987 in Switzerland and several other countries. Born on February 28, 1959, he became known in the European press as the "Sadist of Romont," a reference to the Swiss town where he spent much of his childhood. Peiry was ultimately convicted of four murders and two attempted murders, although he confessed at different times to additional killings in France, Italy, the United States and the former Yugoslavia. Because he repeatedly confessed, retracted his statements and later changed his account, the precise number of people he murdered remains disputed. Authorities and journalists have attributed approximately ten or eleven possible killings to him, while his judicially established crimes involved a smaller number of victims.

Selection of Victims

Peiry generally targeted teenagers and young adults traveling alone. Many of his victims were hitchhikers who accepted a ride from him without realizing that they were entering the vehicle of a violent predator. He frequently traveled throughout Switzerland and neighboring countries, which allowed him to approach victims far from his home and complicated efforts to connect the crimes. After gaining a victim's trust, Peiry drove to an isolated location. His victims were restrained, sexually assaulted and subjected to prolonged violence. Those who were killed were often beaten, strangled or otherwise fatally injured. Peiry then attempted to destroy evidence by burning their bodies or abandoning them in remote areas. The destruction of the bodies, the international range of his travels and his inconsistent confessions made it difficult to determine how many murders he actually committed. In several cases, investigators had only Peiry's statements and no recovered remains or independently confirmed identity. ...

Confirmed Victims: (9)

Sylvestre , Date of Death: September 1, 1981

Michel Peiry - Wikipedia