Geza de Kaplany was born on June 27, 1926, in Hungary to a wealthy family. His childhood was marred by domestic abuse; he lost sight in one eye after a beating from his father, who later died in 1938. Despite a difficult upbringing, de Kaplany was academically gifted and pursued a medical degree at the University of Szeged, graduating with honors in 1951. He worked as a cardiologist in Budapest until the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Following the uprising's failure, he fled the country, eventually settling in the United States after brief stays in England and Denmark.

In Boston, he discovered that his Hungarian medical qualifications were not recognized. Undeterred, he retrained in the U.S., first as an intern at Milwaukee Hospital, then furthering his education at Harvard. He eventually taught anesthesiology at Yale University and worked as a physician at San Jose Hospital in California.

In June 1962, de Kaplany met Hajna Piller, a glamorous Hungarian-born fashion model and beauty queen, and daughter of Olympic fencing champion György Piller. The couple quickly married in August 1962 after a whirlwind romance. However, only weeks into the marriage, de Kaplany became obsessed with rumors of his wife’s alleged infidelity. Friends noted a change in his demeanor and growing paranoia, which he later claimed stemmed from emotional trauma and a fractured psyche.

On the night of August 28, 1962, Geza de Kaplany enacted a brutal and calculated act of vengeance against his wife Hajna Piller. He tied her to their bed, played loud music to muffle the sounds, and used a scalpel to slash her body. Into these wounds, he poured a concoction of hydrochloric, sulfuric, and nitric acid, intending to destroy her physical beauty. His goal, he later claimed, was not to kill her but to punish her for what he believed was betrayal. After three hours of torment, he finally called the police.

Hajna was rushed to the hospital with third-degree chemical burns and deep lacerations covering the front of her body. Though she initially survived the attack and was able to provide a statement, her injuries were too severe, and she died a month later on September 30, 1962.

De Kaplany was arrested the next day and charged with attempted murder. Following Hajna’s death, the charge was upgraded to first-degree murder by torture. At his trial in early 1963, his defense attorney claimed de Kaplany was legally insane and suffered from dissociative identity disorder, introducing an alter ego named “Pierre de la Roche.” The prosecution countered with evidence of planning and motive, including testimony from Ruth Krueger, a former lover who described his controlling behavior.

Though psychiatrists found him medically insane, the court ruled he was legally sane and fit to stand trial. He was convicted of first-degree murder on March 1, 1963, and sentenced to life imprisonment. On March 15, Superior Court Judge Raymond Callaghan formalized the sentence. His medical license was revoked in 1964 for acts involving moral turpitude and professional misconduct.

In a controversial decision, de Kaplany was paroled in 1975 under conditions that allowed him to leave the U.S. and work as a missionary doctor in Taiwan. He quietly left the country before his release became public knowledge, sparking outrage. Legislators called for the resignation of parole board officials, and Raymond Procunier, the chairman responsible for approving the parole, resigned in 1976.

De Kaplany spent several years working at a Catholic hospital in Taiwan before moving around Europe. He briefly resurfaced in Germany, where he lost jobs once his identity became known. In 2002, journalists from the San Jose Mercury News located him living quietly in Bad Zwischenahn, Germany. By that time, he had acquired German citizenship, making extradition impossible.

Despite being a convicted murderer and fugitive from parole, Geza de Kaplany never returned to face justice in the United States. His case remains a disturbing example of how legal loopholes and administrative decisions can allow even the most brutal criminals to escape lifelong accountability.