Andreas Bichel

Overview

Andreas Bichel enticed young women into his house under the pretense that he possessed a magic mirror and could show them their future husbands. After he had them in his power, he bound their hands behind their backs and stunned them with a blow. He then stabbed the women and despoiled them of their clothes, and he committed the murders for this. As he killed the young women, he became possessed by a passion of cruelty and hacked them to pieces while they were still alive to examine their insides.

Background

Andreas Bichel lived in the Bavarian town of Regendorf. In the early 19th century, he was still considered to be a harmless enough fellow. He kept up a respectable front and had a wife, children, and a home, which he was able to support.

In order to support his family, Bichel tried unorthodox vocations. After he had worn out his welcome with his innkeeper employer, he went into fortune telling. He professed to be able to see people’s futures through a special magic mirror. The device was described as a magnifying glass propped up on a small wooden board.

Despite an occasional inability to keep his hands off things that did not belong to him, Bichel was not considered to be a dangerous man. He sometimes pilfered vegetables from neighbors’ gardens. Once, while working at an inn, he was caught trying to sneak away with some of the hay from his employer’s barn.

The offence

Bichel used fortune telling to lure victims to his house. For one victim, Barbara Reisinger, Bichel asked her to have her fortune told. The fortune telling procedure required her to sit down facing the magic mirror placed on an adjacent table. Bichel insisted that the young woman’s hands be bound behind her to make sure she would not touch the magic glass and ruin the spell, and he also required her eyes to be covered. After she was bound and blindfolded, Bichel got hold of a knife and plunged it repeatedly into her neck. According to some accounts, he severed her spinal cord and then stabbed her in the lungs. Whatever his exact methods, Bichel disposed of the body before his family returned home.

Bichel then lured three other young women to his house over the next few months and tried the same thing. Those women were not about to have their hands tied and left his house unharmed.

In 1808, Bichel found Catherine Seidel, a young woman passing through town. Catherine Seidel was described as naive enough to submit to Bichel’s fortune telling request. She agreed to come to Bichel’s house in her best dress and to bring three other dresses besides. Catherine Seidel ended up like Barbara Reisinger.

After Bichel killed the young women, the passion of cruelty took possession of him. He hacked the girls to pieces while they were still alive as he was anxious to examine their insides.

Treatment of Catherine Seidel

Bichel killed Catherine Seidel, and it was described that he opened her with a hammer and a wedge from her breast downwards while she was still breathing.

Trial statements

“I may say,” he remarked at his trial, “that during the operation I was so eager, that I trembled all over, and I longed to rive off a piece and eat it.”

Victims

Barbara Reisinger

Barbara Reisinger came to Bichel’s house in 1807 on a day when his family was not around. Bichel was initially only interested in her as a prospective housemaid, but something about her triggered a different idea. Bichel guided the conversation away from her qualifications for employment and told her about his talent for divination. The young woman agreed to have her fortune told. She went through the binding and blindfolding procedure and was then stabbed repeatedly into her neck. Bichel disposed of the body before his family returned home.

Catherine Seidel

Catherine Seidel was found by Bichel in 1808 while she was passing through town. She was naive enough to submit to Bichel’s fortune telling request. She agreed to come to his house in her best dress and bring three other dresses besides. Bichel later killed her, and it was described that he opened her with a hammer and a wedge from her breast downwards while she was still breathing.

Catherine Seidel’s sister

Catherine Seidel’s sister was in Regendorf looking for Catherine and, in the course of the search, chanced upon a discovery in a local tailor’s shop. The tailor was making a waistcoat and used a distinctive corded fabric that looked familiar. The fabric was material that had come from the petticoat worn by Catherine at the time of her disappearance. The material had been supplied by the person who had ordered the garment, Andreas Bichel. Catherine Seidel’s sister notified the local police about the discovery.

Additional attempted victims

Over the next few months after Barbara Reisinger, Bichel lured three other young women to his house and tried the same procedure, but those women were not about to have their hands tied and left his house unharmed.

Investigation

After Catherine Seidel’s sister notified the local police, police went to Bichel’s house to investigate. Bichel explained that Catherine’s disappearance was because Catherine had met a young man at his house and had run off with him to elope. The story did not impress the police, who searched the house.

In a bureau, police found a collection of women’s clothes, including some that had belonged to Catherine. Police continued the search with the intent of finding the bodies associated with the garments. They followed a police dog that kept sniffing at the Bichel woodshed.

Inside the woodshed, police dug under a pile of straw and uncovered a woman’s body cut in half. Nearby, they dug up a human head and another bisected human corpse. The missing Barbara and Catherine were accounted for by these discoveries.

Arrest

The police went to Bichel’s house to investigate after they received notice from Catherine Seidel’s sister. They searched the house, found women’s clothes, and discovered the mutilated remains near the woodshed. Bichel was confronted with the evidence at his trial.

Trial

Despite the evidence presented against him, Bichel denied everything. He was confronted with the mutilated bodies of the two women he allegedly murdered.

After confronting the evidence, Bichel collapsed in his chair. Later, in his jail cell, he became so rattled that he confessed to both murders.

Sentencing

Andreas Bichel was executed by beheading.

Outcome

Andreas Bichel was executed in 1809, by beheading on June 9, 1809.

Aftermath

The Beheading execution occurred in 1809, following the trial and the confession to both murders.

Other details

Bichel was described as having been tempted by “her fine clothes” as the motive for his first killing. The described motive was that he had decided to kill Barbara because he had been tempted by her fine clothes.

Bichel’s technique involved binding victims’ hands behind their backs, stunning them with a blow, and stabbing them, followed by robbery of their clothes. His described disposal and subsequent mutilation involved hacking victims to pieces while they were still alive.

The case summary materials additionally listed: “Victims: 50+ suspected.” The described method of operation was “Fortune-teller who stabbed/robbed female clients.” The disposition was “Beheaded for two murders, 1808.” The materials also provided “Motive: CE/Sex,” and a “DATE(S): 1790s-1808.”

An attribution included: The Book of Were-Wolves by Sabine Baring-Gould, [1865]. Another attribution included: Michael Newton - An Encyclopedia of Modern Serial Killers - Hunting Humans.