Manuel Blanco Romasanta
Manuel Blanco Romasanta | |
|---|---|
Charcoal drawing from Romasanta's medical report | |
| Born | Manuela Blanco Romasanta 18 November 1809 |
| Died | 14 December 1863 (aged 54) Ceuta, Spain |
| Other names | Werewolf of Allariz Fat Extractor |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1844–1852 |
| Conviction | Murder x9 |
| Criminal penalty | Death by garrotte (commuted to life imprisonment) |
| Details | |
| Victims | 9 confirmed 13 confessed 20+ suspected |
Manuel Blanco Romasanta (né Manuela; 18 November 1809 – 14 December 1863) was Spain's first recorded serial killer. In 1853, he admitted to thirteen murders but claimed he was not responsible because he was suffering from a curse that caused him to turn into a wolf. Although this defence was rejected at trial, Queen Isabella II commuted his death sentence to allow doctors to investigate the claim as an example of clinical lycanthropy. Blanco has become part of Spanish folklore as the Werewolf of Allariz and is also known as The Tallow Man, a nickname he earned for rendering his victims' fat to make high-quality soap.