Pierre François Lacenaire

His parents were Jean-Baptiste Lacenaire, an honest and successful bourgeois merchant, and Marguerite Gaillard.

Upon finishing his education with excellent results, he enlisted in the French Royal Army, eventually deserting in 1829 at the time of the Morea expedition during the Greek War of Independence.

While in prison, Lacenaire wrote a satirical poem, "Petition of a Thief to a King, his Neighbor."

To aid him in committing his crimes, Lacenaire recruited two henchmen, Pierre Victor Avril (whom he had met while in prison) and Hippolyte François.

In the months between the beginning of his trial for a double murder and his execution, he wrote Memoirs, Revelations and Poems.