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    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
    Unavailable
    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
    Unavailable
    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
    Audiobook12 hours

    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science

    Written by Douglas Starr

    Narrated by Erik Davies

    4/5

    ()

    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this audiobook

    A riveting true crime story that vividly recounts the birth of modern forensics.

    At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, known and feared as "The Killer of Little Shepherds," terrorized the French countryside. He eluded authorities for years-until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era's most renowned criminologist. The two men-intelligent and bold-typified the Belle Époque, a period of immense scientific achievement and fascination with science's promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition.

    With high drama and stunning detail, Douglas Starr revisits Vacher's infamous crime wave, interweaving the story of how Lacassagne and his colleagues were developing forensic science as we know it. We see one of the earliest uses of criminal profiling, as Fourquet painstakingly collects eyewitness accounts and constructs a map of Vacher's crimes. We follow the tense and exciting events leading to the murderer's arrest. And we witness the twists and turns of the trial, celebrated in its day. In an attempt to disprove Vacher's defense by reason of insanity, Fourquet recruits Lacassagne, who in the previous decades had revolutionized criminal science by refining the use of blood-spatter evidence, systematizing the autopsy, and doing groundbreaking research in psychology. Lacassagne's efforts lead to a gripping courtroom denouement.

    The Killer of Little Shepherds is an important contribution to the history of criminal justice, impressively researched and thrillingly told.

    From the Hardcover edition.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateOct 5, 2010
    ISBN9780307875761
    Unavailable
    The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science

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    Reviews for The Killer of Little Shepherds

    4/5

    127 ratings23 reviews

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    • 4/5
      fascinating subject matter and very well-written
    • 2/5
      The investigation of a murderer.I'm giving up on this one. I started it several years ago for a book group and it's been sitting on my 'Current Read' shelf since then. At first I'd occasionally pick it up to try and finish it but I don't think I've touched it in a long time.It's a non-fiction narration of the use of forensic science in the discovery of the identity of a brutal killer in France a century ago. Joseph Vacher was a sergeant in the French army but after he was jilted by a young woman to whom he'd proposed marriage, he became a wandering vagabond, committing heinous crimes in various parts of France. It was his wandering that kept him from discovery for so long, as each departement of France was slow to communicate with the others.I'm probably giving up just as the book becomes interesting - Vacher is caught and the trial begins. I'm missing the discussion about insanity and its meaning as related to the crimes - but I've lost interest and so this is going into my very small 'Abandoned' category.
    • 5/5
      Would you have thought that a reporting of science history would be a nailbiter? Yeah, me neither. Turns out we're wrong. This book is outstanding, a compellingly-written, nonfiction page turner. Set in the late 1800s, it reports two parallel stories that build in tension as they eventually converge. Alexandre Lacassagne is a scientist and criminologist who's the father of modern forensic science. In his peer group is Emile Fourquet who's a master investigator and somehow managed to link crimes committed across the French countryside. What these men contributed to their fields without any assistance from technology is nothing short of flabbergasting. Modern forensics and criminology are still in their debt. For instance it was these guys who essentially created the first criminal database and figured out that a particular gun could be linked to a specific gun. Heck, they even set the stage for the autopsy to enter into evidence and expert medical testimony.It'd be awesome to have been taught by them to have just soaked up how their brains work.Anyway, these two are pitted against Joseph Vacher who was a cunning serial murderer. Vacher did his best to create conditions favorable to him, but met his match with those two. Eventually they caught, prosecuted and sentenced him.I read this as a readharder2016 pick and I'm so glad I did. An amazing story brilliant reported and told.
    • 4/5
      "At the end of the nineteenth century, serial murderer Joseph Vacher, dubbed "The Killer of Little Shepherds," terrorized the French countryside.

      He eluded authorities for years-until he ran up against prosecutor Emile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne, the era's most renowned criminologist. The two men typified the Belle Epoque, a period of immense scientific achievement and fascination with its promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition. With high drama and stunning detail, Douglas Starr recounts the infamous crime and punishment of Vacher, interweaving the story of how Lacassagne and his colleagues developed forensics as we know it.

      We see one of the earliest uses of criminal profiling, as Fourquet painstakingly collects eyewitness accounts, leading to Vacher's arrest. And we see the twists and turns of the celebrated trial: to disprove Vacher's defence by reason of insanity, Fourquet recruits Lacassagne, who had revolutionized criminal science: refining the use of blood spatter evidence, systematizing the autopsy and doing ground-breaking research in psychology.

      Lacassagne's forensic investigation ranks among the greatest of all time, and its denouement is gripping. An important contribution to the history of medicine and criminal justice, impressively researched and thrillingly told."

      Fascinating book, one of those that you come away with more knowledge than you thought you would. Interesting to learn about the re structuring of pastoral French communities into "vagabonds" ie migrant workers. Descriptions of animal experiments ruined my life :(
    • 4/5
      Starr has done some very exhaustive research, and he presents it compellingly in The Killer of Little Shepherds. He traces the story of 19th century French vagabond Joseph Vacher, a serial killer whose true number of victims we'll never know. He traces Vacher's story from its beginnings, his obsession with a young woman and his attempted murder/suicide involving her, to his revolving-door stays in mental institutions, to his eventual countrywide preying on the unprotected and vunerable. In the first half of the book, the stories of Vacher's known crimes are interwoven with the story of French criminologist Alexander Lacassagne. He details many of the cases Lacassagne was involved in and some of his great forensic studies and triumphs (you'll find yourself thinking, "so that's where that idea came from!"); the brutality of Vacher's crimes and the intellectual brillance of Lacassagne stand in stark contrast to each other, and it was a very nice narrative stroke for Starr to set up the book this way.In the second half of the book, the stories of Vacher and Lacassagne, along with a team of other French criminologists (again, you'll be stunned by how much we know of forensics was being discovered in this time), begin to intertwine as Vacher is caught and the justice system begins to weigh in on his guilt and sanity. We see other developments, too, like the development of the popular press as a tool for molding popular opinion, for example: in short, Starr has chosen the Vacher case well, because it happened during a time when the world was very much in transition, and things were changing very rapidly. This isn't just a book about a serial killer and forensic science; it's a book about a world that was in upheaval and the reaction of people to those rapid changes. Indeed, one of the most interesting aspects of the book for me was how the public reacted to the killings, the trial, the press, etc.; Starr has documented all of this as well. The "common man" has not been left out of this account.One thorny issue Starr has to contend with is this book is the question of whether or not Vacher was insane, either medically or legally. Wisely, in my opinion, he refrains from weighing in on the question with his opinion or moralizing on the subject; he presents what the views of the day were on the subject, and the reader is able to understand from those facts why the question of Vacher's sanity was decided the way it was. He does not attempt to use Vacher's case to make any arguments about modern-day cases where a person who has committed murder is medically or legally sane or insane; he remains firmly bound to his time period, and that is where his discussions belong, because, again, this book is a snapshot of a very specific era.Though Starr repeatedly makes the point that all he is telling us about forensics demonstrates that it is not a magic, CSI-style performance, fans of popular forensics in addition to more serious scholars will also enjoy this book. They will enjoy reading about things like the advent of fingerprinting, blood analysis, and the like. Starr's book isn't a piece of pop culture, but that isn't to say that fans of pop culture should dismiss it out of hand.One side note: If you're considering buying this for your Kindle, be advised that there are a fair number of period photographs, and they may not show up overly well on your screen. That's a very minor point, but just something to consider if you're debating a hard copy versus an electronic copy.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this well researched and totally readable account of the serial killer, Joseph Vacher, (Vacher admitted to killing 11 people during the late 1800's across the French countryside), and the Forensic scientist who helped convict him, Alexandre Lacassagne.

      The book is told in alternating chapters between Vacher's history and killing spree, and Lacassagne's history, prior cases, and ultimately how he concludes whether or not Vacher is legally responsible for actions.

      Not only does Starr recount the personal histories of each man, but he puts everything in historical context, for example giving background about French economics and why there were so many vagabonds roaming around the countryside during this time. He also tells us about other scientific forensic theories i.e. "natural born criminals" based on certain physical characteristics, and of the first "database" of criminals' physical features and measurements used to track down and apprehend criminals across the country.

      Each man's story is fascinating, Vacher's killings and his reasoning for his innocence, and Lascassagne's use of forensic evidence, way before fingerprinting, DNA evidence, and ultraviolet light became the norm, to convict criminals.

      I recommend this to anyone interested in forensics or serial killers; historical true crime at its best.
    • 4/5
      Although certainly not the first serial killer, Joseph Vacher was the first to be caught using what we would think of as the modern tools of criminal investigation: careful autopsy, scientific testing, profiling, and correlation of data from different areas. Vacher was an odd and interesting killer, but the real fascinating stuff here is the birth of modern forensics and the personalities involved in it. Good read!
    • 4/5
      Riveting is a great single word explanation of this book. The story is actually two stories intertwined, one of a serial murderer who is eventually caught, Joseph Vacher and the second is the story of Dr. Alexander Lacassagne a renowned criminologist who sought to create standards in forensic science. Our story happens during the Belle Epoque, a period of scientific achievement and science's promise to reveal the secrets of the human condition. The book grapples with the ideas of morality and the belief society has a right to defend itself. "Lacassagne believed that a society lacking the will for self protection would find itself ravaged by crime, just as a person who neglected to attend to his hygiene would find himself ravaged by disease. Compassion, even pity, should not trump the values of order, self discipline, and social responsibility. And so in context, too, he once again employed his famous aphorism: "Societies have the criminals the deserve."

      The book is filled with several great scientist of the times with differing opinions of criminology. Science still has not exposed all the mysteries of the brain nor has it laid to waste the work and theories of Lacassagne. During the time of Joseph Vacher's horrific crimes against humanity, there were winds prevailing in both directions on mental illness, the treatment of mental illness, and the death penalty.

      Mental care facilities of today are nothing like the asylums of the 1890's and 1900's strides have been made in that regard. Treatment of the poor still poses many questions even today.

      Mr Starr research and this book are a fascinating look in time at a horrific crime of the 19th century and at the birth of forensic science which led to the capture, trial and death of Joseph Vacher of his crimes and to the conviction of several other criminals from that time. I had to force myself to put this book down at night.

      Just a note I read this for a non-fiction library book group. Many great discussion points in the book.
    • 4/5
      Starr has done some very exhaustive research, and he presents it compellingly in The Killer of Little Shepherds. He traces the story of 19th century French vagabond Joseph Vacher, a serial killer whose true number of victims we'll never know. He traces Vacher's story from its beginnings, his obsession with a young woman and his attempted murder/suicide involving her, to his revolving-door stays in mental institutions, to his eventual countrywide preying on the unprotected and vunerable. In the first half of the book, the stories of Vacher's known crimes are interwoven with the story of French criminologist Alexander Lacassagne. He details many of the cases Lacassagne was involved in and some of his great forensic studies and triumphs (you'll find yourself thinking, "so that's where that idea came from!"); the brutality of Vacher's crimes and the intellectual brillance of Lacassagne stand in stark contrast to each other, and it was a very nice narrative stroke for Starr to set up the book this way.In the second half of the book, the stories of Vacher and Lacassagne, along with a team of other French criminologists (again, you'll be stunned by how much we know of forensics was being discovered in this time), begin to intertwine as Vacher is caught and the justice system begins to weigh in on his guilt and sanity. We see other developments, too, like the development of the popular press as a tool for molding popular opinion, for example: in short, Starr has chosen the Vacher case well, because it happened during a time when the world was very much in transition, and things were changing very rapidly. This isn't just a book about a serial killer and forensic science; it's a book about a world that was in upheaval and the reaction of people to those rapid changes. Indeed, one of the most interesting aspects of the book for me was how the public reacted to the killings, the trial, the press, etc.; Starr has documented all of this as well. The "common man" has not been left out of this account.One thorny issue Starr has to contend with is this book is the question of whether or not Vacher was insane, either medically or legally. Wisely, in my opinion, he refrains from weighing in on the question with his opinion or moralizing on the subject; he presents what the views of the day were on the subject, and the reader is able to understand from those facts why the question of Vacher's sanity was decided the way it was. He does not attempt to use Vacher's case to make any arguments about modern-day cases where a person who has committed murder is medically or legally sane or insane; he remains firmly bound to his time period, and that is where his discussions belong, because, again, this book is a snapshot of a very specific era.Though Starr repeatedly makes the point that all he is telling us about forensics demonstrates that it is not a magic, CSI-style performance, fans of popular forensics in addition to more serious scholars will also enjoy this book. They will enjoy reading about things like the advent of fingerprinting, blood analysis, and the like. Starr's book isn't a piece of pop culture, but that isn't to say that fans of pop culture should dismiss it out of hand.One side note: If you're considering buying this for your Kindle, be advised that there are a fair number of period photographs, and they may not show up overly well on your screen. That's a very minor point, but just something to consider if you're debating a hard copy versus an electronic copy.
    • 4/5
      Interesting.
    • 5/5
      This is another history book about a serial killer, an awful one. (Killer, not book.) It is also about the development of forensic science. It’s an extremely interesting book, but probably not to everyone.

      It is like 2 books put together, like Devil in the White City. From reading reviews it seems to me that often people who liked the historical research were put off by the gory details. People who came for the death-porn were bored by the research details.

      At this time (1890s) guillotine victims were available for teaching and research purposes.

      Our hero is Lacassagne, who developed a reliable method of arriving at a murder victim’s height from the length of certain major bones. (The thighbone, e.g.)

      He was a foundational figure in forensics. He made a flowchart of an autopsy with steps, and a list of observations to check off before you went on to the next step. Ultimately these were made available in a handy little book, which was widely adopted. Thus medical forensic practices were standardized.

      One of Lacassagne’s disciples was Locard, whom you’ve heard of. (Exchange principle.)

      If you like both serial killers and historical research—boy, is this the book for you.
    • 5/5
      4.5 starsIn the late 19th century in France, Joseph Vacher was roaming the countryside. He mostly stuck to rural areas. He had a violent streak and definitely killed 11 people (he later confessed to these), but is actually suspected to have killed around 25 people. Because he was a vagabond, however, it took a while for someone to put together the pieces to figure out it was the same person doing the killings in all these different places. Meanwhile, a scientist/doctor named Lacassagne was trying to put science together with the law to help convict criminals, using early forensic science. The book alternates chapters between Vacher and Lacassagne. I found the stories compelling and interesting. The book reminded me of Erik Larsen's books where he starts with two different people or situations, then brings them together later in the book. Also like Larsen's books, this was very “readable” and, I thought, read more like a novel than nonfiction. I just wanted to keep reading.
    • 4/5
      This is not the typical true crime book but more of a historical true crime which is genre I love. It is not as easy to read because you also learn a lot of things. That happened to me while reading The Killer of Little Shepherds. I love history so it was interesting to read how the criminologists of the 19th century worked. For instance which devices they used for autopsies, how they figured out what to use and how blood spatters worked. Back then there were alienists who claimed that criminals were born like that and you could see that in their brains.
      This is the story of alienists as they were called back then and one in specific Alexandre Lacassagne and how they worked but also the story of a serial killer named Vacher and when they finally caught him they wondered if he was mentally ill and in a way not guilty or if he was sane when he committed the murders. It is very well written book and although it was not a quick read. (I read it in 2 parts) it was a very good read.
    • 4/5
      I really enjoyed the story of a French serial killer alongside the story of the evolution of forensics. A very interesting read.
    • 4/5
      A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic ScienceIn 1893 Louise Barant crossed paths with Joseph Vacher, he became obsessed with her, stalked her and shot her then himself. Both survived the shooting, Vacher was sent to an insane asylum. He was released on April 1, 1894, on May 19 he committed his first admitted murder. Investigators involved with the murders believe that this murder was not his first, but Vacher insisted it was. His last murder was committed on June 18, 1897 and he attacked his last victim on August 4, 1897. He confessed to 11 killings but is believed to have committed more than 25. His victims were spread throughout the French countryside, that was one of the reasons he was not caught for so long. By the time most of his victims were found he was miles away. In a couple of instances, someone else was blamed for the crime, even when Vacher was seen and reported to police as being in the area. Joseph Vacher was known and feared as “The Killer of Little Shepherds”.Douglas Starr also covers the history of Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne and the development of forensic science. He shows the relationship between his science and a popular theory of the day, promulgated by Cesare Lombroso who believed there were people that were ‘born criminal’ and that the tendency to commit crimes is genetic and revealed in certain telltale body traits. He also writes about Alphonse Bertillon who developed an identification systems consisting of ‘eleven critical measurements’ and Hans Gross, Austrian criminologist who promoted the idea of psychology for interrogation instead of the methods used as the time, namely torture.This a well researched book. Douglas Starr takes the time to educate his readers on the social and economic conditions of the area and the time period. It is also well written, fascinating to read and not boring in any way. I recommend this book.
    • 4/5
      This is an interesting look at the beginning of the field of Forensic Medicine and a killing spree that was going on in France. It traces Dr. Lacassagne's pioneering start in the field of Forensics which includes a giant leap in autopsies. There are some interesting comparisons of Dr. Lacassagne and Sherlock Holmes. The story also follows the horrible crimes of Joseph Vacher who confessed to killing numerous people. The story then converges together when Emile Fourquet's (prosecutor) , Dr. Lacassagne's and Joseph Vacher's paths cross. They bring justice to the families of the victims that Vacher left behind. This is written in the same manner as Devil in the White city, paralleling a crime with a historical event. At times this book gets a bit bogged down with science, but overall it is very intersting.
    • 5/5
      Really an interesting read! I picked this up because I really enjoyed The Poisoner's Handbook, and wanted to find something similar. The Killer of Little Shepherds is fantastic, especially for any crime or forensics aficionados!
    • 5/5
      Themes: forensic science, mass murder, mental illness, homelessness, crime, court system, police workAmazing book. Yes, it's shelved with the true crime, but it doesn't quite fit. This book is so much more. Starr tells the story of two extraordinary men, one compelled to kill in the most grisly manner possible and one who put him away.Joseph Vacher was the killer. Always violent, his first actual crime was motivated by an obsession with a young woman. When she rejected him, he stalked her, shot her, and then himself. Unfortunately for France, he didn't die. But that was the beginning. He was sent to an asylum where he seemed to improve. But on his release, he began a killing spree which ended in perhaps as many as 30 dead.Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne was really the first forensic scientist. He not only figured out how to read a crime scene and a victim for clues, but was dedicated to teaching others how to do the same, drawing up guidelines for police to follow, and preserving specimens that would illustrate his findings. Bones, CSI, Quincey ME, all of them are only pale imitations of the real thing.Starr made these stories so compelling that I couldn't put the book down. Great writing. I also appreciated that he didn't have to spell out every single nasty thing Vacher did to his young victims, but I still definitely got the point that this was a horrible man.Highly recommended, and like I said, my first 5 star read of the year.
    • 4/5
      This is an extraordinary book combining two histories: one of the development of French forensic science in the 19th century, the other of the life and deeds of one of France's most notorious serial killers. How these two tales interact is itself a harrowing story, well told.
    • 4/5
      This book is extremely well written and has a surprisingly good flow. I was a little hesitant when I read the description. I wondered how the author would be able to marry the two separate subjects of the rise in forensic science and the serial killer that the title is taken after. I was pleasantly surprised however. The author is able to interweave the two subjects while keeping them separate enough that there is no confusion. The subject matter is already interesting, but the author manages to make it more so. There are a few graphic explanations of crimes and various other things, but it is not overdone and felt appropriate.
    • 4/5
      In the last decade of the nineteenth century, when the application of leeches and bloodletting were still common medical practices and grisly murders would incite a vicious mob out to punish innocent bystanders by matter of proximity and little other evidence, French scientists were on the forefront of revolutionary criminal investigations that we now know as forensic science. Between 1893 and 1898, a dangerous wanderer stalked and killed the easiest of targets in the rural French countryside; children of peasant families, some while tending their flocks, others who were simply on their way to toil in factories or on farms, all of them defenseless. Although that murderer, Joseph Vacher, benefited from the era's lack of communication between remote police outposts, he fell back on traits we see in serial killers of any age; preying on the young and defenseless, returning to the scene of the crime, and charming his way out of incriminating scenarios. Some of the most brilliant minds in psychology, criminology and forensic anthropology were already working together in the gleaming academic halls and moldering make-shift morgues of France to standardize crime-scene investigation and promote tested-and-proven scientific methods. Douglas Starr weaves frightening tales of Joseph Vacher's crimes together with the hopeful advances of the brilliant Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne and his colleagues in criminal anthropology in this fantastic true-crime thriller.
    • 5/5
      This was an excellent true crime and history. I had heard of Joseph Vacher, but I didn't know very much about him, and I don't think there are any other books about him in English. His crimes are straight out of a Hollywood slasher film -- he made Jack the Ripper look like a sissy. The author was able to seamlessly integrate the life and crimes of Vacher with details about the advent of forensic science, forensic medicine and psychology. He must have done a tremendous amount of research for this book.
    • 4/5
      Fascinating account of how developments in criminal investigations tracked down a serial killer in 1890s France and led to his execution -- after he confessed, out of vanily, he tried to pass himself off as insane, but the evidence proved otherwise.