Gilles de Retz or Gilles de Rais, a member of the ‘House of Montmorency-Laval’, was a lord and knight of Anjou, Poitou and Brittany who later became infamous as a serial killer of children. He was a commander in the Royal Army and fought wars of Brittany and Anjou thereafter becoming a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc. He fought many battles as Marshal of France along with her during the ‘Hundred Years’ War’ including that in Orleans. He was present with her in Reims during consecration of Charles VII and remained her special guard till the time Paris was attacked and she was captured. Thereafter, he retired to Brittany. He led an extravagant life with a lavish court encompassing a chain of priests, heralds and servants with the fortune he received from his father and maternal grandfather. His wealth increased extensively following his marriage with Catherine de Thouars, a rich heiress. His lavish lifestyle that included staging his self-composed theatrical soon depleted his wealth, forcing his family to secure a decree from the King to restrain Gilles de Retz from further selling and mortgaging his properties. He resorted to alchemy and Satanism in the hope of increasing wealth. Later he was accused of murdering hundreds of children which led to an ecclesiastical investigation. The parents of missing children testified against him in the trial following which he was given a death sentence and was hanged at Nantes.