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Helene JegadoFrench Maid and Serial Killer
Country:
 France |
Content:
Biography of Hélène Jégado
Hélène Jégado, a French servant and serial killer, was born on a small farm in Plouhinec, Lorient, Brittany. At the age of 7, she lost her mother and was forced to work as a maid with her two aunts in the house of a local parish priest. After 17 years, Jégado and her aunt moved to the town of Séglén. She worked as a cook for the local curé, where she was first accused of using forbidden ingredients, such as cannabis, in the priest's soup.
It is believed that Jégado committed her first poisoning in 1833 while working for François Le Drogo, a priest from the village of Guern. Within three months, seven people in the priest's household, including Le Drogo, his elderly parents, and Jégado's own sister, Anne Jégado, died. However, Jégado managed to divert suspicion through her modest and respectable reputation in the village, as well as her apparent sorrow for her sister's death. The deaths were later attributed to a cholera epidemic.
Jégado then moved to Bubry, where she continued her spree of poisoning. Three more people, including one of her aunts, died within three months. She took care of the dying aunt until her last breath before relocating to Locminé. In Locminé, Jégado met Marie-Jeanne Leboucher, an embroiderer, and her daughter. Unfortunately, this acquaintance led to the deteriorating health of Leboucher's son, although he managed to survive by refusing Jégado's help. Jégado then rented a room from a widow named Lorey, who died shortly after consuming soup prepared by Jégado.
In May 1835, Jégado hired Madame Toussaint, resulting in the deaths of four more French individuals. Jégado continued to move from place to place, leaving a trail of deaths or severe illnesses among those she encountered. Many victims displayed clear symptoms of cyanide poisoning, but the poison was never discovered in Jégado's belongings. The exact number of her victims remains unknown, but it is believed that she poisoned at least 36 people.
Besides her murders, Jégado also had a tendency towards kleptomania. In 1849, she moved to Rennes and found employment in the house of Théophile Bidard, a law professor at the University of Rennes. Two maids, Rose Tessier and Rosalie Sarrazin, fell ill and died under Jégado's care. Suspicious of the similar symptoms exhibited by both maids, two doctors insisted on an autopsy. Jégado panicked and vehemently denied any involvement, attracting attention and leading to her arrest on July 1, 1851.
During her trial, Jégado was accused of 23 deaths between 1833 and 1841. However, due to the passage of time, it was impossible to prove her guilt. Rumors spread throughout the region, attributing almost any suspicious death to Jégado. The trial began on December 6, 1851, and she was charged with three murders, three attempted murders, and 11 thefts. Jégado vehemently denied all accusations, including any knowledge of cyanide. Her defense lawyer made an unusual plea, asking for time for his client to repent and arguing against the death penalty, as Jégado was already dying from cancer.
