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- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi, listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. Real quick, before today's episode, I want to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, Katie takes on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Serial killers who terrorized cities, unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night, and investigations that change the way we think about justice. Listen to and follow America's Most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. This is crime house. We've all heard the saying, better the devil you know than the devil you don't. Well, that's not always the case. From 1764 to 1767, a strange creature terrorized the French province of Gevaudan. It attacked at a moment's notice and left no evidence behind except the brutalized bodies of its victims. The people of Gevaudan spent three years hunting the Beast. A few managed to escape its clutches. Even even the King of France got involved. But taking down the Beast was easier said than done. No one could agree on what it looked like or where to find it. The only thing they knew for sure was that it was massive and deadly. In the centuries since, this terrifying creature has turned into a legend. A spooky story you tell around the campfire. But I can tell you one thing for certain. The Beast was very real and no one was off limits. Foreign. UFO cults and mass suicides to secret CIA experiments, presidential assassinations and murderous doctors. These aren't just theories. They're real stories that blur the line between fact and fiction. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes, A Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I'll explore the real people at the center of the world's most shocking events and nefarious organizations. And remember, those Monday episodes will also be on YouTube with full video. You can find them every Saturday. Just search for conspiracy theories, cults and crimes and be sure to like and subscribe. These cases are wild and I want to hear what you think at the end of each episode. Leave a comment wherever you listen if you. Be sure to rate, review and follow so we can continue building this community together. And for ad free access to all three episodes, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. Today, I'm talking about one of Europe's oldest conspiracy theories, the Beast of Gevaudan. From 1764 to 1767, the people of France were terrorized by a mysterious animal known only as the Beast. Some swore it looked like a dog. Others said it was a lion or a wolf. Whatever it was, it hunted with purpose, fed without hesitation, and left an entire community utterly terrified. By the end of its reign, the Beast had claimed anywhere from 100 to 300 victims. Which makes you wonder, how do you defend yourself from evil? You can't define all that and more coming up.
- [03:45]
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- [04:18]
Vanessa Richardson
outside and experience the benefits of nature. Discover nearby trails and explore the outdoors with alltrails. Download the free app today and find your outside in the mid-1700s, France was going through some pretty big changes. It was a major player in European politics, with a growing population that was making all kinds of scientific advancements. But internally, things were a mess. The feudal system was in full swing, which meant it was almost impossible to move into a higher social or financial class, especially if you were one of the millionaires. Millions of people living in the countryside, and the rural province of Gevaudan was no different. Located in south central France, this area was full of dense, dark forests, scattered farms, and just a few roads. The people of Gevaudan made a living by herding cattle, goats and sheep. They foraged for food and lived in small stone houses, and they paid a boatload in taxes, which ensured they stayed poor. The capital of Paris was hundreds of miles away, so the local bishop was the one who handled any issues or disagreements. But geography wasn't the only thing keeping King Louis XV from intervening in local affairs. Starting in 1756, he'd been dealing with the Seven Years War. France was going head to head with Great Britain over land disputes in North America. Over a million French citizens had fought in the conflict, with many coming from remote provinces like Je Voudan. The war didn't end well for France. It lost most of its territory in North America. But by 1763, at least, the fighting was over. The people of Gevaudan could breathe a sigh of relief. However, that sense of Calm was short lived, because just a year later, they came face to face with a new enemy. And it was more terrifying than any global superpower. On June 30, 1764, 14 year old Jeanne Boulay was shepherding her flock of sheep back to her family's farm. She was looking forward to getting home and settling in for a nice calm evening. But then, somewhere far down the path, she saw something. It wasn't exactly a dog or a wolf. Whatever it was was a lot bigger and scarier. And it was running straight at her. Jeanne screamed and turned toward her flock. She tried to weave through the sheep, hoping the animal might go after one of them instead. But its eyes stayed trained on her. Before Jeanne knew it, she felt the weight of the beast bringing her down to the ground. The sounds of Jeanne's screaming echoed down the hill toward town. A group of concerned neighbors rushed up the path to see what had happened. They found a bloodbath. Jeanne's throat had been ripped apart, her abdomen torn open, flesh stripped from limbs. There was no doubt about it. Jeanne was dead. But there was no sign of who or what had done this to her. Based on the state of Jeanne's body, her neighbors knew her attacker wasn't human. It must have been some sort of crazed animal. But it had left no evidence behind. No paw prints, no tufts of fur. Just the blood stained grass and Jeanne's mangled body. It wasn't long until news of Jeanne's death spread throughout Gevaudan. And eventually the townsfolk realized this wasn't the first time something like this had happened in Gevaudan. Just a few months before Jeanne's death, another young woman had come back from the fields in a panic. She talked about a horrifying creature that had tried to attack her while she was tending to her cattle. She managed to escape with her life, but the memory of it still haunted her. When people in Jevaudan made the connection to Ja, they started to wonder. Had both young women been attacked by the same creature? Residents searched the nearby woods for any sign of the animal, but found nothing. So they wrote it off as a strange coincidence. And for two blissful months, the town of Gevaudan went back to normal. Jean's brutal death seemed like a distant memory. That is, until August 1764. Just six miles away from where Jean Boulet was killed, another young girl named Marianne went missing. It was the middle of the day and she was working the fields nearby when she vanished. A search party went into the surrounding woods to look for her. After a little while, they spotted shreds of cloth scattered on the forest floor. They followed the scraps until eventually they found Marianne. Like Jeanne, her throat had been slashed and her entrails devoured. And like last time, there was no sign of the animal responsible. But clearly this creature didn't go far, because two days later, it happened again. A 15 year old girl was found brutalized, her neck ripped apart by what appeared to be a wild animal. Later that month, on August 30, the creature struck once more. This time, the victim was a young boy who'd been tending to his cattle. At that point, it seemed like a pattern had emerged. All the victims were children, and they'd all been killed in the exact same way. There's some conflicting reports about the state of the bodies. Some say the animal just ripped them apart. But others claim their abdomens were torn open and their intern organs were removed. People in this camp say the animal fully feasted on its victims. Discrepancies like these are common in older cases, especially in a place like Jebudon, where most people were illiterate and there were no formal autopsies. Typically, the local priest would just take a look at the body, record their death, and then the victim would be buried. But the people of Jevudon didn't need a coroner to tell them something very dangerous was hunting them. So they gave this mysterious creature a name. The beast.
- [10:24]
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- [10:56]
Katie Ring
think about some of the cases that defined true crime in America. Ted Bundy. Jeffrey Dmer. The kidnapping of Elizabeth Smart. The Karen retrial. Some crime cases are so shocking, they don't just make headlines, they forever change a country. I'm Katie Ring, host of America's most Infamous crimes. Each week, I take on one of the most notorious criminal criminal cases, whether it's unfolding now or etched into American history, revealing not just what happened, but how it forever changed our society. Serial killers who terrorized cities. Unsolved mysteries that kept detectives up at night. And investigations that changed the way we think about justice. Each Case unfolds across multiple episodes, released every Tuesday through Thursday. From the first sign that something was wrong to the moment the truth came out or didn't. These are the stories behind the headlines. Listen to and follow America's most infamous crimes available now wherever you get your podcasts.
- [11:55]
Vanessa Richardson
As summer gave way to fall in 1764, a man named Etienne Lafont sat alone in his dim office in Jevaudan. Etienne was the regional representative for the Bishop of Monde. Part of his job was keeping the parish record updated. That day, he added yet another name to the list. Another victim of the Beast of Gevaudan. Etienne had been hearing about the terrifying animal attacks for months now. He estimated that Jean Boulay was the first of at least a dozen victims. And Etienne was confident he knew exactly what this horrifying creature was. A wolf. He planned to write to the region's most powerful families to tell them about the killer in their midst. And that way, they could encourage the people of Gevaudan to band together to try and hunt and kill this wolf. But before sending out any letters, Etienne decided to get a second opinion from the Bishop of Monde himself. Etienne got up from his desk and walked across the hall to the bishop's office. He was the wisest person Etienne knew. If anyone had advice on how to move forward, it was him. But when Etienne told the bishop he wanted to assemble a group of men to kill the wolf. Etienne. The elderly man paused. Then the bishop said, no wolf leaves bodies like this. No, this beast is no creature of forest or field. For a moment, the two men stood in silence until finally the bishop continued. He explained that this creature wasn't a wolf or a dog. In fact, it wasn't of this world. According to the bishop, this creature was an agent of divine wrath. The Bishop's revelation certainly complicated things for Etienne, but he still felt like the best solution was to simply hunt the beast down. So he went ahead with his plans and wrote to all the noble families in Jevoudon. He suggested they form several different hunting parties to find and kill the Beast. Etienne hoped that this way they could take care of the problem before it reached any more villages in the province and before the Beast could claim any more victims. Unfortunately for Etienne and so many others, that was easier said than done, because the beast wasn't going away just yet. And the next time it attacked, it would make the people of Gevaudan question everything they thought they knew. On September 7, 1764, a 36 year old woman stepped out of her house to wander through her garden. Unfortunately, we don't know this woman's name, but we do know she was a local herbalist. Some people even called her a witch. Her garden was right outside her door, and it was full of herbs and plants that could be used for all kinds of tinctures and homemade remedies. She bent down to pick a few sprigs of rosemary, when suddenly, her hair stood on end. She felt something staring at her from behind, but she couldn't bring herself to face it. Instead, she stood up. She gripped the bundle of herbs in one hand and began to perform the sign of the cross with the other. But before she could finish, the beast pounced. You can probably guess what happened next. The herbalist was attacked, just like the others, her body mangled and her insides strewn on the ground. But after she was found, the people of Gevaudan realized two things. One, this creature didn't just prey on children. It would kill anyone it could. And two, it wasn't just hunting out in the fields or near the woods. It had no issues attacking right next to someone's house in broad daylight, which meant no one was safe. After the herbalist was killed, the search for the beast ramped up. Groups of noblemen began to scour the countryside looking for the creature During Sunday mass. The local priest even told his congregation that whoever took down the beast would get a hefty reward. With money on their minds, more and more men grabbed their rifles and headed into the woods. The rest of the town waited with bated breath and hoped good news was coming their way. And on September 20, 1764, their prayers were answered. Or so they thought. A group of men had been out in the forest looking for the beast when they came upon a massive wolf. They didn't hesitate to shoot and kill it. They dragged the corpse back to town, their faces shining with pride. As promised, they were each given a reward. 18 livres. Nearly half a year's wages at the time. For a moment, it seemed like the saga was over. The people of Gevaudan could breathe again. But just nine days later, they realized the truth. The beast was still very much alive, and it had claimed another victim. The scene was exactly the same. Throat torn, abdomen split, organs devoured. A couple days later, the beast struck again. And again. And again. It's hard to know the exact number of victims during this time, but By January of 1765, it was probably in the dozens, and people were panicking. More groups of local men combed the countryside, hoping to finally bring the reign of Terror to an end. Nearly 50 different hunting parties went out to look for the beast during this period. But it was always one step ahead of them. If a search party focused on one part of the woods, the beast would simply move to another. And soon, the attacks weren't just happening in the town of Jevaudon. They spread all over the province. Even worse, they were getting more violent. Many victims were still found with their throats ripped out. But now others were completely, completely decapitated. As the death toll rose, rumors spread like wildfire. People started saying the beast wasn't a normal animal. It was supernatural. Some claimed they saw it walking on its hind legs. Others said it was literally bulletproof, that the bullets would just ricochet off its fur. There were even rumors that if someone did manage to kill the beast, it would come back from the dead hungrier than ever. These stories turned the Beast into a kind of boogeyman. A creature made of pure evil who could be anywhere at any time. In a lot of ways, they were right. This creature wasn't just deadly, it was clever too. And for a while, it seemed like the beast would come out on top. The people of Gevaudan were completely at its mercy. But then something totally unexpected happened. Someone actually fought off the beast. And it wasn't one of the hunters. It was a 10 year old boy. Hi listeners, it's Vanessa Richardson. I wanted to take a brief moment to tell you about another show from Crime House that I know you'll love. America's Most Infamous Crimes. Hosted by Katie Ring. Each week, Katie takes on a notorious cross crime, whether unfolding now or etched into American history. Revealing not just what happened, but how it forever changed our society. Serial killers who terrorized cities. Unsolved mysteries that keep detectives up at night. And investigations that change the way we think about justice. Each case unfolds across multiple episodes released every Tuesday through Thursday. From the first sign that something was wrong to the moment the truth came out or didn't. These are the stories behind the headlines. Listen to and follow America's most infamous crimes Tuesday through Thursday on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen to podcasts. On January 12, 1765, 10 year old Jacques Port was attending to his family's cattle that day. Seven of his friends were helping out. They were between the ages of 8 and 12 and all lived in Gevaudan. It was freezing out, but Jacques was having a good time laughing and joking around. That all changed when he spotted a shadowy creature racing up the hill. It was too big to Be a dog and too strange to be a wolf. Its fur looked reddish, and it had a dark stripe running down its back. For a moment, Jacques was stuck, spellbound by the creature. But as the Beast got closer, he yelled out to his friends. He told them to hide behind the cows, to use them as shields. The kids scrambled around, but the beast was too fast. It circled the group, its mouth open to reveal two huge fangs and saliva dripping down its fur. In a flash, it lunged forward and grabbed one of the boys. It latched onto his neck and pulled him down to the ground, and the other kids gasped in horror. But they stood their ground. They were gonna fight to save their friend. They grabbed the sticks they were playing with earlier and raced over to the creature, stabbing and swinging at it as hard as they could. One kid landed a blow on the beast's jaw, another on its ribs. This disoriented the creature just enough for it to loosen its grip, dropping the young boy on the ground. He scrambled free and ran to join the others, clutching his bleeding neck. At that moment, Jacques decided this beast wouldn't claim any more lives. He started yelling out orders, telling his friends to form a circle around the creature and keep prodding it with their sticks. They did as they were told, striking the creature and calling it any names they could think of. They fought and fought, refusing to back down. But somehow the Beast managed to get away. It vanished into the trees, leaving the eighth children terrified and breathless, but alive. Up until this point, crossing paths with the Beast was basically a death sentence. That all changed with Jacques Porta and his friends. News of their heroic escape spread across Jevoudon, France, and all the way to the palace of Versailles. By then, King Louis XV had already heard whispers about the Beast that was terrorizing south central France. Like everyone else, he was shocked by the sheer number of deaths in such a short time. So when he heard about Jacques's bravery, King Louis XV rewarded the young boy with a full education, all expenses paid by the Crown. But this story of heroism and survival didn't last long, because the Beast wasn't dead yet, and he was still hungry for blood. When the killings didn't end, the King decided it was finally time to get involved. On January 27, 1765, he announced that the Crown would increase the reward for capturing the beast to 6,000 livres. More than $800,000 in today's money. With this new, outrageously high reward in place, Gevaudan basically became the spot to be. Thousands of hunters traveled to the province in search of the Creature. By this point, the Beast had killed at least 4, 47 people. And it wasn't long until news of the murder spree spread beyond France. Newspapers all over Europe and even the American colonies started reporting on the creature. With so much attention on the story, rumors started to spread. There were tons of supposed sightings, dozens of alleged slayings, and yet no one had proof. Which meant the Beast was still out there. But it seemed like maybe the creature was frozen, finally getting tired. On August 11, 1765, a 19 year old woman named Marie Jean Valet was crossing a river with her sister, when out of nowhere, an enormous, snarling creature jumped out from the underbrush. The animal was gray and white striped, with a large head and terrifying teeth. You might be thinking, this sounds a lot different from Jacques's description. That was pretty common when it came to the Beast. It seemed like everyone who came across it remembered it differently. One possible explanation is trauma. Our senses are heightened when we're in fight or flight. If you come face to face with a beast that wants to disembowel you, you're probably not thinking about what it looks like. You're just focused on getting away. Another possibility is that there was more than one beast, or that it could somehow change its appearance. Whatever the Beast looked like, Marie Jean was absolutely terrified when it jumped out in front of her. But she was prepared. She'd brought a makeshift spear on her journey, made out of a stick with a bayonet tied to it. The moment she saw the creature lunging for her, Marie Jean grabbed her weapon. Before the Beast could land on her, she stabbed it in the chest, bringing it down into the frothing water. She and her sister started screaming for help, all the while keeping an eye on the creature in case it tried to attack them again. But the Beast had been badly injured. It didn't fight as the water dragged it downstream. Like Jacques before her, Marie Jeanne was seen as a hero. Actually, she became so famous that people compared her to a more modern day Joan of Arc. You can even visit a statue of her in the city of Auvers. Despite her bravery, the Beast was still out there and the country was still terrified. Louis XV even sent his own hunters to the province to help with the search. No stone was left unturned, no corner of the forest left unexplored. They were certain that someone would finally bring down the creature. And on September 20, 1765, someone did. least they said they did. According to the King's gun bearer, Francois Antoine, he shot and killed an enormous wolf that he assumed to be the Beast. The Crown was more than willing to believe him. They rewarded Francois handsomely, showering him with money and royal titles. The animal itself was stuffed and brought to the Royal court as a symbol of Francois's heroism. King Louis XV might have gotten ahead of himself, though, because just two months later, the attacks continued. And they were just as intense as before. By then, it seemed like the King had enough of this mysterious creature. Although these accounts were well documented, he refused to believe the Beast was still alive. In his mind, Francois had killed the animal, and that was that. But the people of Gevaudan had suffered enough to know better. They knew the Beast was still out there, and if the King's men wouldn't help them, they would have to rely on their own community to finish the job. Unfortunately, stopping the Beast for good would take another two years. In that time, another 30 people died. Like I mentioned, it's hard to know the exact death toll. It could have been anywhere from 100 to 300 victims. With each new killing, the hunt only grew more desperate. But it wasn't until June 19, 1767, three years after the first recorded kill, that these attacks finally stopped. And it was all thanks to a man named Jean Chastel. That day, Jean was trudging through the woods near Montmouche in Jevouda. He was determined to succeed where so many others had failed. Jean was hell bent on slaying the Beast, even if he died in the process. He moved carefully between the trees, musket at the ready, his hunting dogs at his side. As he pushed deeper into the forest, something changed. The birds stopped chirping. The insects stopped buzzing. Everything fell quiet. The air felt thicker, and Jean had this sudden urge to run. Even his dogs whimpered. Something was not right. That's when Jean realized he was no longer the hunter. He was being hunted. John looked around, trying to calm his nerves. He kept his eyes peeled and his musket at the ready. Then, suddenly, he heard the snap of a twig. The sound sliced through the silence like a bark blade. Jean jerked his musket up to his shoulder as one of his dogs ran towards him, its tail tucked and trembling. Behind the dog, hot on its heels, something emerged. An enormous, terrifying animal. It was almost like a wolf, but unbelievably large. Jean was so close that he could see its glittering teeth, each one like a perfectly sharpened knife. Jean knew right away this was the Beast. The creature ran toward him, then skidded to a halt, its huge claws tearing into the earth. Then it turned to face Jaune. Its yellow eyes were fixed on him as its lips curled back into a snarl, ready for its next meal. But J' onn had been waiting for this moment. He swallowed his fear, aimed his gun and fired. Jean shot the animal in the throat, severing its trachea. The creature tried to stand, but it was already losing so much blood that it collapsed back onto the ground. And after a few moments, it was dead. After killing the animal, Jean loaded it onto a horse and took it to be autopsied at a nobleman's castle once and for all. The people of Gevaudan would know what kind of terrible creature had been using their community as a fear feeding ground. But this is where things got complicated. By 1767, the beast had become a nationwide legend. And news of Jean's killing quickly spread through the region. By the time Jean arrived at the nobleman's castle, a crowd had gathered outside. Everyone wanted a piece of the Beast, literally. The people in the crowd had shown up with knives, and they cut off entire chunks of the Beast in a mix of fury and curiosity. According to records, the Beast's remains had been thoroughly butchered and destroyed by the time they reached the dissection table. So it was impossible to determine what kind of animal it actually was. But there's no shortage of theories. Some people think the Beast was a wolf, a pack of wolves or a lion that escaped from an aristocrat's private zoo. But other species think the creature was more supernatural. Certain retellings of the story say Jaune didn't kill the Beast with a regular gun with normal ammunition. That instead he killed the creature with a silver bullet, which is where the whole supernatural element comes in. According to some people, the Beast sounds a lot like a werewolf. The stories about it are pretty similar to legends of werewolves. Incredibly strong, bloodthirsty creatures that brutalize their victims. And just like what happened with the Beast, some people think the only way to kill a werewolf is with a silver bullet. But other theories have gone in the opposite direction. They think that maybe there was a human serial killer in the area who made it seem like their victims were attacked by an animal. Then there's a theory that combines both of these elements. Apparently, Jean Chastel's son, Antoine, had recently returned to the Jevaudan region right before the attacks began. And he'd brought a large dog like creature that he'd supposedly trained to attack people. Some people described it like a hyena. And apparently people really didn't like Antoine. They thought he was strange. Maybe even dangerous. So there's this whole theory that Antoine and his killer pet were actually responsible for the attacks, that Antoine was some sadistic serial killer who used his violent animal to do the killing, and that when Jaune caught wind of it, he killed the beast. I have my own suspicions. I mean, humans love a good story. If you didn't, you wouldn't be here, right? And before cell phones and the Internet, we had our imaginations. Campfire stories were their Netflix. But I would love to know what you all think. Was the Beast of Gevaudan a regular animal, a werewolf, or something else entirely? Let us know in the comments. I would love to hear. Whatever the truth is, Jean Chastel was definitely the person who saved the town once and for all. And all these years later, the Beast of Gevaudan is told like a scary story. Because that beast might be dead, but there's no telling if someday another beast might return, stronger, angrier and hungrier than ever before. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Vanessa Richardson and this is Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes. Come back next time. We'll decode the episode together and hear another story about the real people at the center of the world's most notorious cults, conspiracies and criminal acts. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review, review and follow Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference. And to enhance your Conspiracy Theories, Cults and crimes listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode ad free. We'll be back on Wednesday. Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes is hosted by me, Vanessa Richardson, and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Conspiracy Theories, Cults and Crimes team, Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benidon, Natalie Perovsky, Lori Marinelli, Sarah Camp, Kaylee Pine, and Michael Langsner. Thank you for listening.
- [34:06]
Katie Ring
I'm Katie Ring, host of America's Most Infamous Crimes. Each week I take on one of the most notorious criminal cases in American history. Listen to and follow America's Most Infamous Crimes. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
- [34:21]
Vanessa Richardson
Thanks for listening to today's episode. Not sure what to listen to next? Check out America's Most Infamous Crimes hosted by Katie ring. From serial killers to unsolved mysteries and game changing investigations. Each week Katie takes on a notorious criminal case in American history. Listen to and follow America's most infamous crimes now wherever you listen to podcasts.