4. Marcel Petiot Worked Out His Stress by Murdering People
Shortly after Dr. Marcel Petiot was forced to resign as mayor of Villeneuve-sur-Yonne, he got rid of some of the stress and worked out some of his frustrations by murdering one of his patients. Not long thereafter, another patient – who had accused the former mayor of crimes – died in suspicious circumstances. Despite the evidence – including a conviction – of corruption, plus mounting indicia of criminality, Dr. Petitot retained his popularity. Indeed, upon his suspension from office as mayor, the entire town council resigned in protest.
In the autumn of 1931, Dr. Petiot was elected as a councilor of the Yonne Department. However, scandal and the whiff of scandal followed him wherever he went. Within just a few months of winning the election, Dr. and Councilman Petiot was convicted of stealing electricity from his town. Once again, he was forced to resign from public office. So he decided to start a new life in Paris, moving to and opening a medical practice in the French capital.