A man who detested hippies was dubbed the "bikini killer" after several tourists were found dead with nothing but their swimwear on.
Charles Sobhraj is believed to have brutally killed at least 12 young backpackers while travelling across the hippie trail in south east Asia in the 1970s.
Posing as a gem dealer, he sickeningly lured his victims by promising them shelter, drugs and parties before carrying out the deadly attacks.
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They suffered unimaginable deaths with many of them being poisoned, strangled, drowned, stabbed and even burned alive.
It was found that he stole some of his victim's passports and money.
The French serial killer later developed the name 'The Serpent' after he managed to slither himself away from the police for months.
Sobhraj evaded capture for so long that he was branded Interpol's most-wanted man before he was eventually located in 1976.
The killer tried to drug 22 members of a French tour party but some revellers managed to stay awake and alert the cops in New Delhi.
He was initially jailed for the manslaughter of two tourists and was sentenced to 12 years behind bars, reports The Independent.
10 years later, Sobhraj drugged Indian prison guards and launched a successful escape. He went missing for around a month before he was re-captured and jailed for another decade.
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It is said that he made several escapes during his time behind bars, in a bid to get more prison time.
After he was released in India in 1997, he was granted permission to return to France.
The killer was also wanted in Thailand in connection to five murders which would have probably led to him being issued the death penalty.
However, by staying in jail he would be able to pass the 20-year time frame for which this could have taken place.
Sobhraj hit headlines for his haunting killings, which saw most people left lifeless in their bikinis, but when he returned back to France he began charging staggering sums for interviews.
It is believed he was able to amass wealth through the opportunities and later became the subject of films, books, and a BBC drama series.
The convict made the strange decision to visit Nepal in 2003, which is one of the few places where he could be punished for his crimes.
It wasn't long before he was spotted and sentenced to life imprisonment in a Nepalese jail.
He remains behind bars in ill health today.
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