Karl Denke
| Karl Denke | |
|---|---|
Only known photograph of Karl Denke, after his suicide
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| Born |
12 February 1870 Oberkunzendorf, Münsterberg, Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia (now Ziębice, Poland) |
| Died | 22 December 1924 (aged 54) Münsterberg, Poland |
| Cause of death | Suicide by hanging |
| Other names | Father Danke |
| Motive | Cannibalism |
| Killings | |
| Victims | At least 42 |
|
Span of killings
|
21 February 1909–21 December 1924 |
| Country | Germany (area now part of Poland) |
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Date apprehended
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20 December 1924 |
Karl Denke (12 February 1870 – 22 December 1924) was a serial killer from Germany.
Denke was born in Münsterberg, Silesia in the Kingdom of Prussia (now Ziębice in Poland). At the age of 12 he ran away from home; little else is known about his early life. However, in adulthood he worked as an organ player at the local church and was well-liked in his community. Denke quit church membership in 1906.
On December 20, 1924, Denke was arrested after attacking a man at his house with an axe. Police searched Denke's home and found human flesh in huge jars of curing salts. A ledger contained the details of at least 42 people whom Denke had murdered and cannibalized between 1914 and 1918. It is thought he even sold the flesh of his victims at the Breslau (today's Wrocław) market as pork.
Two days after his arrest, Denke hanged himself in his cell.
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Wikipedia