From 1986 to 1997, Parisians lived in fear of the pockmarked killer (Le Grêlé), who committed multiple murders and rapes but was never discovered by the authorities.
The 35-year-old hunt for the vicious killer ender this week, after former police officer Francois Verove confessed to being the infamous Le Grêlé — and killed himself, thus avoiding justice.
The shocking case has captured the attention of both French and international media, with many wondering how Verove evaded capture for so long.
Read more below.
Suicide Note
As reported by USA Today, Verove overdosed on Wednesday after being called in for questioning and asked by the police to submit a DNA sample.
DNA testing confirmed that it was indeed Verove who committed multiple murders and rapes between 1986 and 1997 in Paris, France.
Verove confessed to several rapes and murders in his suicide note, but none of this will bring closure to victims’ families, according to their lawyer Didier Saban.
"We won’t ever know all the crimes Le Grêlé committed," Saban said.
Murders, Rapes
Verove is linked to a number of murders, including the killing of a 11-year-old girl. He is also linked to at least six rapes.
French authorities will most likely reopen several unsolved murder and rape cases to see if Verove’s DNA matches with evidence found at crime scenes.
Verove was 59 years old when he killed himself. He was reportedly found in an apartment on the Mediterranean coast. In his suicide note, he confessed to having certain "impulses" but didn’t name his victims or provide additional details.
DNA
Verove’s DNA "was still able to be linked to several of the crime scenes," according to USA Today, which noted that he was a police officer responsible for protecting the presidential palace when he went on the crime spree.
"Verove was a police officer during the time of the murders and rapes. His post included being part of an elite unit responsible for protecting the presidential palace and also in a unit that investigated pedophilia. It is unclear if Verove used his police credentials to lure in victims."
Similar Cases
In 2020, 74-year-old Joseph James DeAngelo, known as the Golden State Killer, admitted to committing more than a dozen murders in the 1970s and 1980s.
As reported by NPR, United States investigators identified DeAngelo — a former police officer — using public genealogy websites to trace his DNA.
DeAngelo pleaded guilty to dozens of murders and rapes, some of which he couldn’t be convicted of due to the statue of limitations. He is serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
