Parricide Part III

Human Monsters: Parricide Part III explores three chilling cases of filicide in 20th-century America and Europe, each revealing the dark undercurrents of privilege, psychological detachment, and calculated cruelty. The episode opens with Violette Nauzier, the 'Poisoner of Paris,' who murdered her parents with poison in 1933, claiming they infected her with syphilis, only to be exposed when her second attempt failed and her mother survived. Her trial became a media spectacle, polarizing public opinion between those who saw her as a victim of abuse and those who viewed her as a manipulative monster. The narrative then shifts to Lowell Lee Andrews, the 'Nicest Boy in Wolcott,' who coldly executed his entire family in 1958 to inherit their wealth and fulfill his fantasy of becoming a Chicago mob hitman. His clinical detachment, meticulous planning, and lack of remorse shocked investigators, culminating in a confession that revealed a sociopathic mind unburdened by empathy. Finally, the episode examines Elizabeth Roxanne Hasem and Jens Soering, a couple who orchestrated the brutal murder of Elizabeth’s parents in 1985. Elizabeth, driven by resentment and a desire for freedom, manipulated Jens into committing the killings, later confessing to her role as mastermind. Despite Jens’ claims of innocence and diplomatic immunity, both were extradited, with Elizabeth receiving a 90-year sentence and Jens life imprisonment. Their eventual parole in 2019 sparked controversy, underscoring the enduring moral ambiguity of these crimes. The episode paints a haunting portrait of how wealth, isolation, and warped identity can fuel acts of extreme violence against family.