The Vampire of Cinkota: Hunting Béla Kiss

The Vampire of Cinkota: Hunting Béla Kiss Béla Kiss was a determined, organised and calculating serial killer who would stop at nothing to achieve his objectives. If we encountered such an individual in the 21st century we would most probably diagnose them as possessing an Anti-social Personality Disorder (APD) and suffering from psychopathy. On 14 May 1916 at 3pm, there was a large attendance of mourners at Cinkota Cemetery who brought what seemed an endless number of flowers. As the victims were interred in consecrated ground, the church bells could be heard ringing in the distance. Richard Gardner shows how Béla Kiss utilised his charismatic personality, dexterity and determination to escape his own demons which allowed him to allude the clutches of Hungarian authorities. He explores the phenomenon of serial killing through an alternative lens, where the case of Béla Kiss is set against a framework of impending war, economic depravity and marginalisation.