The following is a list of documented "real vampires" or individuals displaying vampire-like attributes:

1404-1440 - Gilles de Rais, France. Tried and convicted for murdering young boys from vampirism and sadism. (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


1431-1476 - Vlad Tepes, Prince of Wallachia. Long-presumed inspiration for Bram Stoker's Dracula, there is much evidence supporting the incarnation of Tepes as the fictional Count, including many passages from the original book that place the Count in Romania during Tepes' reign.


1560-1614 - Erszbet (Elizabeth) Bathory. Believing blood had rejuvenating properties, Bathory bathed in the blood of virgins. It is estimated she killed more than 50 girls to retain her youthful appearance. When caught, she was imprisoned in a room in her estate and several years later died, completely alone.


16th century - Gilles Garnier, France. Murdered females and drank the blood for nourishment. (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


16th century - Clara Geisslerin. Accused of witchcraft and vampiric-type activities.


18th century - Peter Plogojowitz, Hungary. After being dead for 10 weeks, it was reported Peter had visited people at night and vampirized them. (Vampire, The Complete Guide to the World of the Undead, Manuela Dunn Mascetti, 1992).


-1727 - Arnold Paole, Meduegna, Serbia. Johann Flückinger documented case called Visum et Repertum (Seen and Discovered) about Arnold Paole, a young man who told tales of vampires abroad and then died after falling off a cart. He was reportedly seen after the burial and when exhumed officials staked the corpse. (Vampire, The Complete Guide to the World of the Undead, Manuela Dunn Mascetti, 1992).


19th century - Sergeant Bertrand, France. A necrophiliac who frequented cemeteries (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


1867 - The Portuguese sailor James Brown is caught on a fishing boat in Boston Harbor drinking blood from the neck of another sailor, the second of two men he slaughtered that day. He was placed in an insane asylum, after his death sentence was commuted by President Andrew Jackson, and commenced to attack inmates.


1883-1931 - Peter Kurten, Düsseldorf. "The Vampire of Düsseldorf" was a(n) hematodipsiac (erotic blood drinking) who was turned in by his wife, convicted and executed for many murders. (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


1879-1925 - Fritz Haarmann, Germany. "The Hanover Vampire" cannibalized his victims and bit them on the throat. After being executed for his crimes, his brain was removed and given to scientists at Göttingen University for study. (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


19th century - Antoine Leger, France. A singular case of vampirism, Leger, an old soldier, mutilated and violated a young girl in every way concievable, including drinking her blood. (The Book of Vampires, Dudley Wright, 1973).


19th century - Vincenzo Verzeni, Bottanaucco, Italy. Sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, corpse mutilations, and vampirism. (The Vampire Encyclopedia, Matthew Bunson, 1993).


19th century - Miss Rose, Placedale, Rhode Island. Exhumed by her father because he believed she continued to "exhaust the vitality" of her family. He cut out and burned her heart. (The Vampire, In Legend and Fact, Basil Copper, 1993).


19th century - Mercy Brown, Exeter, Rhode Island. *Important note: Mercy Brown may be the same case as the immediate preceding entry of Miss Rose. Although I am unable to verify the information at this time, proceed with the assumption that these two cases, documented here, are one and the same.* All five family members, George Brown (father), Mary (mother), Olive (sister), Edwin (brother), Mercy (presumed vampire) succumb to "consumption" and are at one point exhumed by townspeople to check for vampirism. Only Mercy Brown, the youngest of the siblings, is found in seemingly perfect condition without evidence of decomposition, so the townspeople cut off her head.


1910 - Salvarrey, Galazanna, Portugal. A young girl was found exsanguinated and the only suspect was Salvarrey who confessed he was a vampire.


20th century - John George Haigh, Crawley, Sussex. A clearly delusional psychopath who drank human blood and dissolved the bodies in sulphuric acid to dispose of any evidence. (The Vampire, In Legend and Fact, Basil Copper, 1993).