A notorious serial killer, Frank Gust, infamously known as “The Rhine-Ruhr Ripper,” derived twisted pleasure from handling his victims’ entrails, even holding a victim’s heart in his hands post-mortem. Gust’s heinous acts were likened to the Victorian-era Jack the Ripper murders due to the brutal mutilation he inflicted on his victims.

The latest installment of the Bizarre Bazaar True Crime Podcast delves into Gust’s dark past, highlighting a pivotal moment in his childhood when, at the age of nine, his craving for affection was shattered by a callous rejection from his grandmother regarding a pet guinea pig.

Instead of returning the animal, Gust embarked on a path of cruelty and violence, starting with barbaric acts on animals that escalated over the years. His escalating obsession with animal torture eventually led him to commit heinous crimes against humans.

Gust’s descent into murder began with the violation of corpses in a cemetery and culminated in the brutal killing of his first victim, Catherine Thompson, a hitchhiker from South Africa. Gust lured Catherine into the woods under false pretenses before ruthlessly ending her life and desecrating her body in a gruesome manner.

Subsequently, Gust continued his reign of terror, targeting more victims, including sex workers whom he tortured and murdered in a sadistic manner. His escalating violence and depravity culminated in a chilling plan involving explosives and a sheep as a test run for a planned murder.

Despite his gruesome crimes and his own admission of remaining a perpetual threat, Frank Gust is set for release in 2026, raising concerns about the potential danger he poses to society in the future.