Hans Gruyters was a car salesman in Noord-Brabant (Netherlands), in the 1950s. His nickname was the Black Rider, because he once appeared completely dressed in black at a party. On 1954-11-15 , he shot J. van Dieten, a post office employee in Ravenstein. He was 29 at the time, and had already been convicted six times for smaller offences. On the 16th of November, he robbed a bank and on December 31st he broke into the vicars house in Volkel , after which he ran over a man on a bike and killed him in the process. By then, the police was on his tail, but this didn't prevent him from trying to rob the bank in Oss some days later. He was eventually arrested on January 5th 1955, and convicted to fifteen years in prison in 1956. He escaped in 1957, but was soon found and put back in his cell. He got off in 1966, and died (ironically) in 1980 after a fall from his horse.

References

• J.H.H. Gaute and Robin Odell, The New Murderer's Who's Who, 1996, Harrap Books, London
• Hans van Straaten, Moordenaarswerk, 1990, Amsterdam