Cover of The Killer of Little Shepherds by Douglas Starr

KODAMA / TRUE CRIME 2026

Biography· True Crime · Serial Killers · History · Investigation

The Killer of Little Shepherds

Name: The Killer of Little Shepherds: A True Crime Story and the Birth of Forensic Science
ISBN: 9780307266194

by Douglas Starr

A riveting historical narrative exploring the terror wrought by Joseph Vacher — the "French Ripper" — and the birth of modern forensic science led by pioneering criminologist Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne in late 19th-century France.

The hunt for Joseph Vacher and the dawn of forensics.

In the late 1890s, Joseph Vacher terrorized rural France, wandering the countryside to assault and murder young shepherd boys and girls. With no centralized police database or modern investigative techniques, catching a nomadic killer was nearly impossible.

Douglas Starr tells the dual story of Vacher's bloody trail and the brilliant pioneers — prosecutor Émile Fourquet and Dr. Alexandre Lacassagne — who forged revolutionary methods in bloodstain analysis, autopsies, and criminal profiling to bring him to justice.

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“

Before Lacassagne and Fourquet, crime scene investigation relied on superstition and intuition; after them, it belonged to science.

KODAMA / EDITORIAL NOTE

The author HISTORIAN

Douglas Starr

Douglas Starr is a veteran journalist, author, and professor of science journalism at Boston University. His work focuses on science, medicine, human rights, and the justice system.

Winner of the Anthony Award and Gold Dagger Award for Non-Fiction, Starr spent years meticulously reviewing archives in France to reconstruct one of the most pivotal trials in criminal history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A meticulous science writer whose historical narratives bring early scientific discoveries to life.

Key themes in the historical account.

The Alexandre Lacassagne School.

How the Lyon school of criminology introduced rigor in autopsies, ballistics, and crime scene documentation.

The French Ripper (Joseph Vacher).

Understanding the wandering killer who exploited France's vast rural countryside and lack of inter-jurisdictional communication.

Early Criminal Profiling.

Prosecutor Émile Fourquet's groundbreaking mapping of murder dates and locations to track a single perpetrator.

Sanity vs. Moral Responsibility.

The fierce courtroom battle between early psychiatrists over whether Vacher was insane or legally accountable.

Recognition

Awards & critical acclaim.

Douglas Starr's work received prestigious international literary awards for its contribution to crime history.

2011

CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger Winner

Awarded by the Crime Writers' Association as the top non-fiction true crime book of the year.

2011

Anthony Award for Best Critical/Non-Fiction

Recognized by Bouchercon for exceptional historical research and literary storytelling in mystery and crime writing.

Watch

Author presentation & historical context.

Author Douglas Starr discusses the birth of forensic science and the pursuit of Joseph Vacher at Boston University.

031 / ARCHIVE PRESENTATION The Killer of Little Shepherds · Douglas Starr Discussion

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Legacy

The foundation of modern criminology.

The Killer of Little Shepherds captures the exact moment when criminal investigation transitioned from guesswork to empirical science, establishing protocols still used by forensic scientists today.

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