April 1, 1962 - Renaud Hardy
His case attracted sustained attention in Belgium less for its scale than for the medical questions it raised: Hardy had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2007, and his defense argued — with some neurological support — that dopamine-agonist medication had altered his impulse control in ways that contributed to his crimes. The murders and attacks spanned roughly a decade, targeting elderly women and acquaintances in the Flemish Brabant region, and it was forensic evidence recovered from his own memory card that ultimately broke the case open. The trial's outcome affirmed life imprisonment while leaving unresolved the broader legal and ethical questions about criminal responsibility and neurological illness that his case had surfaced.
From Wikipedia
Renaud Hardy (born 1 April 1962), known as The Parkinson's Murderer, is a Belgian serial killer who was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, rape and attempted murder in 2018.
Arrest
On 16 September 2015, Linda Doms was murdered in Zemst, Flemish Brabant. Her corpse was discovered a few days later by a neighbour. Several people were interviewed, including Hardy, a former friend of Doms. Initially, the investigators had no evidence of Hardy's involvement and he was released. When the investigators found images on Hardy's memory card showing the crime scene, Hardy was rearrested on 21 September 2015.
During the arrest, the Mechelen court again opened an investigation into older files. From DNA traces a link was established to the murder of 82-year-old Marie Walschaerts, which was committed in Leest in May 2014, and an attempted murder in September 2014 in Bonheiden. He is also the suspected perpetrator of an attack on Belgian actress Veerle Eyckermans in February 2015, who at the time lived near Hardy. He is also considered responsible for the murder of an 85-year-old in Boortmeerbeek in December 2011.
Hardy had been arraigned a week before Doms' murder, with the help of sex offender Doris Corbeel, because in 2014 he had shot a passer-by with an air gun. In his own words, he saw the woman riding on the bike and suddenly had the urge to harm her.
Parkinson's
In 2007, doctors diagnosed Hardy with Parkinson's disease. The disease and its influence on his actions received much attention during his trial, with some Belgian media even calling him the "Parkinson's murderer". It was also mentioned that he took medicine to treat the disease, where a well-known neurologist, Chris Van Der Linden, stated that he had become a murderer due to the addicting medication. Also during the trial, Hardy's defence often cited the disease as a mitigating factor.
Condemnation
The trial began on 9 February 2018. After almost a month, on 8 March 2018, Hardy was declared guilty by the people's jury. He was sentenced to life imprisonment.
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