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You are here: Home / Book Reviews / The Killer of Little Shepherds

The Killer of Little Shepherds

November 13, 2010 By Alice

the killer of little shepherdsThe Killer of Little Shepherds. I just finished reading “the Killer of Little Shepherds” by Douglas Starr and can highly recommend this book. This is not just for lovers of the tales of serial killers or for those who love to read about forensics.

It is a book about the evolution of society, how good trusting people changed to cautious folks distrustful of strangers. This is a book that signals how prejudice started to influence a community and how one person can incite a riot.

Of course, prominently featured are Cesare Lombroso and Alexandre Lacassagne! These two pillars and their schools of thought have shaped forensic science.

The main story in the book is the case of Joseph Vacher, a man who was both a psychopath and a schizophrenic. The psychopath in him killed many people. The schizophrenic in him made people believe that he was mentally disturbed after his engagement to marriage was broken.

A. Lacassagne
A. Lacassagne

This book describes in detail how autopsies were done in the late 1890s…without gloves…without refrigeration…decomposition…and of course, it tells about the scraping of the bones to measure their exact sizes.

C. Lombroso
C. Lombroso

This book held my interest from the start and not just because it hints at a serial killer at work. The case of Vacher is fascinating but the early days of CSI are a real treat for criminologists.

We learn about the work of Alexandre Lacassagne and Cesare Lombroso, why they believed what they did and how each tried to prove the other wrong. Lombroso’s work is a must read for criminology students. His measurements and deductions can be found in many of his works. I have a fourth edition of “L’Homme Criminel” from 1887.

Lacassagne’s detailed descriptions of the circumstances under which the victims died is so meticulous that you can actually see the autopsy in your head.

Last but not least, read about Vacher’s trial and how both sides tried to argue their cases.

Douglas Starr’s website is here and his blog is here.

Highly recommended reading.

My other book reviews are here.

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Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: Alexandre Lacassagne, Book Reviews, Cesare Lombroso

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Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 300 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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