Editing Henri Désiré Landru (section)

== Personality and motives ==
Landru presented a paradox: physically unremarkable (short, balding, stout, with a distinctive pointed beard, a far cry from the image of a womanizer), yet possessing an undeniable charm, sophistication, affability, an affected demeanor, and an air of respectability that attracted many women {{sfn|Rēn|Gureggu|1995|pp=197-199}} His age and slightly paternal demeanor, even his baldness, might have appealed to vulnerable women seeking security in uncertain times.{{sfn|Shōshin Shobō|1997|pp=2828-2829}}

He maintained a strict separation between his criminal activities and his family life.A husband and father of four, Landru led a seemingly very ordinary life with them. To his wife and children, he appeared a conventional, albeit often absent, paterfamilias, described as thoughtful and considerate. He provided gifts (bought with stolen funds, such as jewelry for his wife) and financial support, though he never revealed the illicit source of his income.{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|pp=100-101}}

His conduct during the investigation and trial cemented his public image. He remained calm, polite (consistently maintaining a refined demeanor), witty, and unflappable, consistently denying the murders while implicitly admitting the frauds, and often making ironic jokes. For example, when a woman who arrived late to the courtroom gallery was having trouble finding a seat, Landru reportedly offered her his own defendant's seat, saying, "If my seat is alright with you," which drew laughter from the attendees.

This behavior made Landru a subject of jokes, songs, cartoons, and morbid fascination.{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|pp=102-103}}{{sfn|Sairyakkusu|1996|p=664}} He earned nicknames like "Bluebeard" (sometimes "Old Man Bluebeard," particularly in vaudeville theaters), "The Lady Killer," and "The Red Man of Gambais." A famous cartoon depicted Landru telling his lawyer, "A woman's place is in the home (foyer)." The word "foyer" in French has the dual meaning of "home/hearth" and "furnace/stove," thus satirizing the widespread belief that Landru had incinerated his victims' bodies in his oven.{{sfn|Shōshin Shobō|1997|pp=2828-2829}} This public fascination extended to enthusiastic fans sending him gifts like sweets and tobacco, and he received a deluge of marriage proposals.{{sfn|Sairyakkusu|1996|p=664}} Furthermore, in the 1919 general election, approximately 4,000 voters reportedly wrote Landru's name on their ballots.{{sfn|Shōshin Shobō|1997|pp=2828-2829}}

=== Notable quotes ===
Landru's cynicism and evasiveness were evident in his recorded statements:{{sfn|Rēn|1996|pp=62-63}}{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|pp=102-103}}
*   On his notebook: "The police gentlemen would have been more pleased if it had included on the first page, 'I, the undersigned, confess to having killed the ten women named herein.'"{{sfn|Rēn|1996|p=62}}
*   On the disappearances: "Is there anyone who goes missing who doesn't fall under suspicion of murder?"{{sfn|Rēn|1996|p=62}}
*   When pressed: "That's my secret. French law recognizes the right to remain silent."{{sfn|Wiruson|Pittoman|1963|p=148}}
*   To sanity experts: "By acknowledging that I am normal, you have, so to speak, proven my innocence."{{sfn|Gōte|Ōderu|1986|p=159}}
*   During trial: "Believe me, please, I didn't even know how to light the oven."{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|p=98}} / "Women don't count their age from birth, but from their confirmation."{{sfn|Wiruson|Pittoman|1963|p=148}}
*   After conviction, to his lawyer: "If I had gotten off, it would have been thanks to you."{{sfn|Rēn|1996|p=62}} / "I've asked you to handle quite a troublesome, or rather, desperate defense. But this isn't the first time an innocent man has been punished... Of course, Counselor, I am innocent."{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|p=101}}
*   To the priest before execution: "Worry about saving your own soul rather than mine."{{sfn|Wiruson|Pittoman|1963|p=148}}
*   Final words when asked to confess: "To ask such a question at this point is extremely rude."{{sfn|Rēn|1996|p=63}}

=== Financial motivation ===
Overwhelming evidence points to greed as Landru's primary motive. His monetary desire and avarice are noted characteristics. This is evident in his meticulous categorization of potential victims.{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|p=99}} For instance, after placing advertisements seeking a spouse and receiving a large number of replies, Landru carefully sorted them, recording classifications such as "reply by general delivery," "no money," "no reply," "reply by general delivery with initials," "probably has property," and "reserve, further investigation needed."{{sfn|Faidō|1997|p=148}}{{sfn|Shōshin Shobō|1997|pp=2830-2835}} He would then reply to women who seemed to have property to gather more information, selecting those who appeared as naive as possible, and explicitly eliminated applicants he marked as "no property".{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|p=99}}

His habit of buying single train tickets for victims when taking them to Gambais, while purchasing return tickets for himself, further underscores this; he did this to save even minuscule amounts of his own money, not wanting to waste a single franc while intending to steal theirs.{{sfn|Sairyakkusu|1996|pp=662-664}} Furthermore, his detailed accounting of even the smallest expenses, recorded in a notebook (which was among the evidence seized during the house search after his arrest), highlights his extreme avarice. This notebook included meticulous records of items like bus and subway fares,{{sfn|Monesutie|1991|pp=100-101}} and train fares for trips between Paris and Gambais, alongside the assets acquired from his victims.{{sfn|Shōshin Shobō|1997|pp=2818-2819}}