Giuseppe Sasia

Giuseppe Sasia (May 26, 1886–February 17, 1936), known as The Shepherds' Killer and The Haut-Var Killer, was an Italian criminal and serial killer, who, in the span of several months in 1934, killed at least 4 men in Draguignan, France, with the aim of stealing from them. He was later guillotined for his crimes.[1]

Giuseppe Sasia
Undated photograph of Sasia
Born(1886-05-26)May 26, 1886
Rossana, Piedmont, Italy
DiedFebruary 17, 1936(1936-02-17) (aged 49)
Draguignan, France
Cause of deathGuillotined
Other names"The Shepherds' Killer"
"The Haut-Var Killer"
Conviction(s)Murder
Criminal penaltyDeath
Details
Victims4–5+
Span of crimes
March–November 1934
(possibly 1930)
CountryFrance
State(s)Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Date apprehended
December 7, 1934

Biography

Giuseppe Sasia arrived in France at the end of the 19th century,[2] at the age of 10.[3] His father was an Italian farmer who settled in the country with his family. They moved to Les Arcs, and after his father's death, his mother returned to Italy, while he and his brother sold the family property.[4] He bought another farm with his brother, which they also sold at a big profit. Sasia then bought a restaurant in Les Arcs.[3]

Giuseppe is known to have committed theft several times, and sentenced for it four times.[5] Sasia lived in a small stone house in the middle of a field. He wasn't very sociable, and scared his neighbors, but nevertheless, he had a girlfriend.[6] He worked for a while at a restaurant in Draguignan, a town where he went to buy ammunition.[7]

At some point, he had an affair with a woman from Draguignan, who rejected him because he was poor.[4] The woman whom rejected owned a bar in the town.[8]

Murders

His crimes were committed in a particular area; the journalists grouped them under the name of "The Crimes of Haut-Var".[9]

Joseph Roumo

Joseph Roumo was murdered in front of his shop in Flayosc, in 1930.[10] He was killed in similar circumstances to the other four victims, but Sasia wasn't prosecuted for this crime.

Marius Vassal

While napping near an oak tree in Taradeau, Vassal, a horticulturist, was shot dead on March 4, 1934.[11][12] His body was later found hidden, and the hundred francs he was carrying on him were gone.[9] At first, the judge indicted a "lunatic" for this killing, who dies shortly after his arrest.

Fernand Troin

Troin was murdered in Flayosc, on August 5, 1934.[10][12][13] The octogenarian was returning home with provisions, when he passed by the place where his soon-to-be-killer was hiding. The latter shot Fernand, stealing his food and the ten francs he was carrying.[9] A postwoman, who claimed to have seen the killer, was later unable to recognize Sasia at trial.

Félicien Rouvier

Félicien Rouvier, 35, was murdered on October 19, 1934, at Ampus.[13] Sasia, who was familiar with the place, also knew that the shepherd was gone during the day, and that he had money on him. He placed himself in an alcove, until Félicien returned with his sheep at nightfall. As he entered the house, he was shot with buckshot, and collapsed on the ground.[9]

Sasia then stole a watch, handkerchief, and the 137-160 francs, while the victim lay dying.[10][9]

He confessed the crime after Rouvier's watch was discovered in his pockets, after he was arrested. He claimed to have killed Félicien, as he needed money to pay some fines.[9]

Gianni Galliano

The 26-year-old chauffeur Galliano, who was on a work-related trip, was murdered in Vérignon on November 30, 1934.[10][14][13] While searching through Sasia's home, the gendarmes discovered Galliano's glove, leading to the first confessions. Sasia claimed to have had an altercation with the chauffeur on the road to Canjuers, deciding to shoot and rob him, before hiding the body. He shouted for Gianni to stop the vehicle, before shooting him.[9] The mobile was the same one as Félicien Rouvier's.

Arrest

Sasia was arrested by two policemen patrolling along the railway linking Vidauban to Les Arcs. He was walking around with his rifle by his side, perhaps looking for a new victim,[15] and his attitude provoked the interested of the policemen.[9] His appearance corresponded to the report broadcast eight days earlier. As Sasia could not present a hunting permit, he was taken in by the gendarmerie, to which he instantly admitted to having hunted without a license, as well as confessing to his theft convictions. Giuseppe claimed to reside in the neighborhood of Nouradons aux Arcs.

The gendarmes discovered on him the watch stolen from the corpse of Félicien Rouvier, prompting Sasia to quickly confess his guilt. He explained that he premeditated the action, waiting for the shepherd to arrive before killing him. From the on, the gendarmes searched his home, where they found six watches, five wallets and a pair of gloves, which turned out to be Galliano's. Sasia admitted to that murder as well, claiming at first that they had fought before, before acknowledging that he killed Gianni so he could rob him.[9] Soon after, he acknowledged the murder of Vassal and Troin, but denied responsibility for the 1930 crime.[9]

When presented before the magistrate on the following day, he partly recanted his confession, recognizing only the two crimes for which there was evidence: those of Rouvier and Galliano. He claimed to have committed the crimes so he could pay his fines and evade prison. The investigators discovered two transfers made on the days after the two murders, and the presence of several watches raised concerns about other possible victims.[16]

Sasia declared after his arrest: "I deserve the guillotine".[15] On December 18, he was charged with four murders, premeditated murder, followed by theft, and highway robbery with aggravating circumstances.[17]

Trial

He was tried before the cour d'assises on November 5, 1935.[9][5] Sasia acknowledged the murders of Rouvier and Galliano, but plead self-defense, trying to present it as a failed robbery. He denied being the perpetrator of the other two killings.

Experts analyzed that the four victims were shot in similar circumstances, with buckshot at 4–5 meters in the shootings.[5] The chief doctor of the asylum, Dr. Pierrefeu, noted that Sasia was fully aware of his actions.[5] She declared: "He is a man who possesses to a high degree the feel of material things, and who has the mentality of a man of the woods; he is far from civilized. His mental level is low and, by poaching, he has assimilated men to the animals he was killing. His emotivity is null and his regret is purely verbal. But Sasia is not crazy".[12] Watchmakers, who had repaired Vassal's watch on previous occasions, recognized it when it was shown to them by the gendarmes.:[5]

After several minutes of deliberation,[18] jurors recognized him as guilty of the four murders and condemned him to the death penalty.[9] Over five hundred people attended the last day of the trial.[13]

Execution

His clemency was rejected,[9][13] despite a meeting between his lawyer and the President.[19]

Sasia showed no regret before his conviction. During his detention on the death row, he requested the support of an almoner and began to regret his actions.[20] He did not support the approach chosen for his execution, and had several crises of despair. After the execution of Niccolini in Avignon, the guillotine was brought to Draguignan.[21]

Sasia was executed on February 17, 1936, at 6:10 on La République Street, in front of the Draguignan Prison.[9][21] While it was deployed in the public square, a large part of the service was set up to prevent from attending the execution.[22]

According to his lawyer, his last words were: "It's annoying to die".[20] His body was later deposited at the Draguignan cemetery.[22]

Controversy over deportation

A controversy arose from the fact that Sasia, an Italian national, was the subject of a deportation order from the gendarmes, since his first conviction. This, however, had not been applied: the prefecture's secretary was accused of favoring extremist immigrants, and thereafter removed from office.[9]

References
  1. "The Time (December 9, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  2. "Le Populaire (December 8, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  3. "Le Petit Journal (November 6, 1935)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  4. "L'Intransigeant". Gallica (in French). November 5, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  5. "Le Matin: last telegrams of the night". Gallica (in French). November 6, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  6. "Le Petit Parisien: daily newspaper of the evening". Gallica (in French). December 8, 1934. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  7. "Le Petit Marseillais (December 9, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  8. "Le Petit Journal (December 8, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  9. "Le Matin: last telegrams of the night". Gallica (in French). December 8, 1934. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  10. General Confederation of Labor (December 8, 1934). "Le Peuple: daily organ of unionism". Gallica (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  11. "L'Œuvre". Gallica (in French). November 5, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  12. "Paris-soir". Gallica (in French). November 6, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  13. "Le Petit Provençal (November 7, 1935)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  14. "Le Journal". Gallica (in French). November 6, 1935. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  15. "La Tribune (December 8, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  16. "Le Populaire (December 9, 1934)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  17. General Confederation of Labor (December 19, 1934). "Le Peuple: daily organ of unionism". Gallica (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  18. "Giuseppe Sasia is condemned to death". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  19. "The free man: daily newspaper morning / editor, Georges Clemenceau; Director, Fr. Albert". Gallica (in French). February 11, 1936. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  20. "Paris-midi: only daily newspaper appearing at noon / dir. Maurice de Waleffe". Gallica (in French). February 17, 1936. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  21. "Le Petit Provençal (February 16, 1936)" (in French). Retronews - Press site for the BNF site. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
  22. "Le Petit Provençal (February 18, 1936)". Retronews - The press site of the BnF (in French). Retrieved November 23, 2019.

See also
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