Satu Mare, Romania - A used car salesman shot his brother-in-law through the heart with a silver bullet because he thought the man was a werewolf who had killed dozens of people - including his sister.

Thomas Masaryk has been charged with first-degree murder in the bizarre case, but he plans to plead innocent under a 500-year-old Transylvania law that says it’s not murder to kill a werewolf.

“We’ve obviously got to prove the victim was a werewolf to take advantage of the law,” Masaryk’s attorney told reporters. “My client and I feel sure we can do that. We’ve got his personal testimony and the eyewitness account of a priest to back us up.”

Masaryk doesn’t deny shooting Dumbrava Serghiescu, 42, on the lawn of his home on the outskirts of Satu Mare.

In fact, he called on father Martin Batistei to witness the shooting that, he claims, took place just seconds after Serghiescu transformed himself in a werewolf.

Father Batistei told reporters, “It’s true. I heard the man threaten to kill Mr. Masaryk and saw him change before my eyes. Hair sprouted on his face and hands and fangs grew right out of his mouth. His eye glowed fiery red - and he began to grown and moan like a caged beast.”

Masaryk put a stop to the horrifying transformation with a single shot from a .38 caliber revolver.

The bullet he used to kill Serghiescu had been made from a silver crucifix that reportedly had been blessed by the Pope.

A police statement confirmed that both Masaryk and the priest were waiting by Serghiescu’s body when officers arrived.

“Unfortunately for Mr. Masaryk, the body we found was that of an ordinary man, not that of a werewolf,” a police spokesman said. “We had no choice but to charge him with the murder of his sister’s husband.”

Masaryk contends that Serghiescu returned to normal form after he was shot through the heart and hopes a court will believe him when he goes to trial early next month.

“Serghiescu was a brutal, inhuman killer,” he said. “Even if I am found guilty of murder, I will not regret killing him,” said Masaryk.

Godfroi Buillon exclusive for Our Strange World