{
  "title": "The Brutal Crimes and Final Execution of Peter Kurten",
  "dek": "How the reign of terror known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf ended in 1931.",
  "slug": "peter-kurten-vampire-of-dusseldorf-solved",
  "canonical_url": "https://crimesandmyths.com/case/peter-kurten-vampire-of-dusseldorf-solved",
  "published_at": "2026-10-16T13:04:35.633Z",
  "updated_date": "2026-10-16T13:04:42.591000",
  "word_count": 950,
  "direct_answer": "Peter Kurten, known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf, committed a series of violent murders in 1929. He was captured in 1930 after his wife, Maria Kurten, reported his confession to the authorities. Following a high-profile trial, Kurten was convicted of his crimes and executed by guillotine in 1931.",
  "key_facts": [
    {
      "label": "Primary Suspect",
      "value": "Peter Kurten"
    },
    {
      "label": "Location of Crimes",
      "value": "Dusseldorf, Germany"
    },
    {
      "label": "Year of Execution",
      "value": "1931"
    },
    {
      "label": "Execution Method",
      "value": "Guillotine"
    },
    {
      "label": "Case Status",
      "value": "Solved"
    }
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "question": "Why was Peter Kurten called the Vampire of Dusseldorf?",
      "answer": "He was labeled the Vampire of Dusseldorf by the media because rumors circulated that he consumed the blood of his victims."
    },
    {
      "question": "How did the police finally catch Peter Kurten?",
      "answer": "The police caught him after his wife, Maria Kurten, learned of his crimes and reported him to a friend who was a former victim, leading to police intervention."
    },
    {
      "question": "What was the official outcome of the trial?",
      "answer": "Peter Kurten was found guilty of multiple counts of murder and was sentenced to death by guillotine in 1931."
    }
  ],
  "structured_block": {
    "timeline": [
      {
        "date": "1929",
        "event": "Peter Kurten conducts a series of murders and violent acts in Dusseldorf."
      },
      {
        "date": "May 1930",
        "event": "Maria Kurten reports her husband's confession to the police."
      },
      {
        "date": "1931",
        "event": "Peter Kurten is executed by guillotine."
      }
    ],
    "persons": [
      "Peter Kurten",
      "Maria Kurten",
      "Gertrude Schulte"
    ],
    "evidence_status": "court_established",
    "current_status": "Deceased",
    "sources": [
      {
        "title": "1931: Peter Kurten, the Vampire of Dusseldorf",
        "url": "https://www.executedtoday.com/2012/07/02/1931-peter-kurten-the-vampire-of-duesseldorf",
        "publisher": "Executed Today",
        "tier": "tertiary"
      },
      {
        "title": "Peter Kurten: The Vampire of Dusseldorf",
        "url": "https://allthatsinteresting.com/peter-kurten",
        "publisher": "All That's Interesting",
        "tier": "tertiary"
      },
      {
        "title": "Peter Kurten Biography",
        "url": "https://www.biography.com/crime/peter-kurten",
        "publisher": "Biography.com",
        "tier": "tertiary"
      }
    ],
    "reviewer": {
      "completeness": 85,
      "narrative_quality": 80,
      "readability": 90,
      "direct_answer_standalone": false,
      "perspective_counterpoints": false,
      "honesty_framing": false,
      "verdict": "hold",
      "reasons": "The draft fails the rubric requirements for counterpoints, standalone summary structure, and explicit honesty framing."
    }
  },
  "entities": [
    {
      "name": "Peter Kurten",
      "type": "Person",
      "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_K%C3%BCrten",
      "description": "A German serial killer known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf active in the 1920s."
    },
    {
      "name": "Maria Kurten",
      "type": "Person",
      "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_K%C3%BCrten",
      "description": "The wife of Peter Kurten whose report to authorities led to his capture."
    },
    {
      "name": "Klingelputz",
      "type": "Place",
      "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klingelputz",
      "description": "A prison in Cologne where Peter Kurten was executed."
    }
  ],
  "place": {
    "name": "Dusseldorf, Germany",
    "address": "Dusseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany",
    "sameAs": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf"
  },
  "temporal_coverage": {
    "start": "",
    "end": ""
  },
  "claims": [
    {
      "claim_text": "Peter Kurten, known as the Vampire of Dusseldorf, was executed in 1931.",
      "category": "timeline",
      "agreement_status": "court_established",
      "confidence": 1,
      "is_quotable": true,
      "quote_text": "Peter Kurten, the Vampire of Dusseldorf",
      "quote_attribution": "Executed Today"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    {
      "url": "https://www.readerslane.com/reviews-title/dusseldorf-vampire-the",
      "title": "The Dusseldorf Vampire - True Crime Readers Lane",
      "publisher": "Readers Lane",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www1.wdr.de/freizeit/true-crime/peter-kuerten-serienmoerder-duesseldorf-100.html",
      "title": "Peter Kürten - der \"Vampir aus Düsseldorf\"",
      "publisher": "WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk)",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.biography.com/crime/peter-kurten",
      "title": "Peter Kürten - Crimes, Last Words & Facts",
      "publisher": "Biography.com",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.ripleys.com/stories/peter-kurten",
      "title": "Up Close & Peculiar With a Real Vampire!",
      "publisher": "Ripley's Believe It or Not!",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.executedtoday.com/2012/07/02/1931-peter-kurten-the-vampire-of-dusseldorf",
      "title": "1931: Peter Kürten, the Vampire of Düsseldorf",
      "publisher": "Executed Today",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://www.crimeandinvestigation.co.uk/crime-files/peter-kurten-vampire-dusseldorf",
      "title": "Peter Kurten: The Vampire of Dusseldorf",
      "publisher": "Crime+Investigation",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    },
    {
      "url": "https://allthatsinteresting.com/peter-kurten",
      "title": "Peter Kürten, The Sadistic 'Vampire Of Düsseldorf'",
      "publisher": "All That's Interesting",
      "tier": "tertiary",
      "type": "other"
    }
  ]
}