List of French serial killers

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A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more people, with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them.[1][2] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines serial killing as "a series of two or more murders, committed as separate events, usually, but not always, by one offender acting alone".[2][3]

Identified serial killers[edit]

Name Years active Proven victims Possible victims Status Notes Ref
Aiutino, Vincenzo 1991–1992 3 3 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Man with the Fifty Affairs"; Swiss who raped and strangled three women between 1991 and 1992 in Meurthe-et-Moselle [4]
Alègre, Patrice 1989–1997 5 5+ Sentenced to life imprisonment Raped and strangled women in Toulouse and Paris; his case caused accusations of a police cover-up [5]
Madame de Brinvilliers 1666–1670 3 3 Executed 1676 Aristocrat who poisoned her father and two brothers [6][7]
Avinain, Jean-Charles-Alphonse 1867 2 2 Executed 1867 Known as "The Terror of Gonesse"; butcher who killed two people in robberies [8]
Barbeault, Marcel 1969–1976 8 8 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Shadow Killer"; killed his victims during the nighttime or early mornings [9]
Chambet, Ludivine 2012–2013 10 10 25 years imprisonment Known as "The Poisoner of Chambéry"; nurse's aide who poisoned elderly people using antidepressants [10]
Chanal, Pierre 1980–1988 8 17 Committed suicide awaiting trial Soldier suspected of raping and murdering young men in Marne [11]
Cottrez, Dominique 1989–2006 8 8 9 years imprisonment Murdered her newborn infants in her home in Villers-au-Tertre [12]
Dankerque, Casimir 1935 4 4 Executed 1936 Known as "The Monster of Artois"; murdered elderly people during robberies in Pommier and Achicourt [13]
Dumollard, Martin 1855–1861 3 3 Executed 1862 Known as "The Maid Killer"; with the help of his wife Marie-Anne Martinet, attacked and robbed maids in Lyon and Ain, killing three of them [14]
El Borgi, Thierry 1989 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Together with partner Philippe Siauve and two other accomplices, murdered three women and an officer between May and July 1989 [15]
Fourniret, Michel 1987–2003 8 12+ Died in prison Known as "The Ogre of the Ardennes"; with his help of his wife Monique Olivier, kidnapped, raped and murdered predominantly young girls across France and Belgium [16]
Frantz, Véronique 1852–1854 3 3 Executed 1854 Poisoned her employer's mother-in-law and wife to become his mistress; later poisoned him after she learned he planned to remarry [17]
Garnier, Gilles 1572–1573 4 4 Executed 1573 Known as "The Hermit of St. Bonnot"; reclusive hermit who confessed to murdering and cannibalizing young children
Georges, Guy 1991–1997 7 7 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Beast of Bastille"; raped and murdered women in the Bastille neighbourhood of Paris [18]
Haddouche, Jacquy 1992–2002 3 3 Died in prison Career criminal who murdered women across the country [19]
Heaulme, Francis 1984–1992 9 9+ Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Criminal Backpacker"; murdered a wide variety of victims across the country, some with a yet-unidentified accomplice
Jégado, Hélène 1833–1851 3 36 Executed 1852 Domestic servant who poisoned various people with arsenic
Keller, Yvan 1989–2006 23 40–150 Committed suicide awaiting trial Known as "The Pillow Killer"; smothered and then robbed elderly women across France, Germany and Switzerland [20]
Lacenaire, Pierre François 1834–1835 2 2 Executed 1836 Poet and army defector who murdered two men with his accomplices [21]
Laget, Pierre 1922–1929 1 3 Committed suicide in prison Dentist who poisoned his second wife; suspected in the murders of his first wife and aunt [22]
Lagrée, Pierre 1915–1916 4 6 Executed 1916 Soldier who killed people during robberies; confessed to two more while residing in New York, United States [23]
Landru, Henri Désiré 1915–1919 11 11+ Executed 1922 Known as "The Bluebeard of Gambais"; killed mistresses and lovers during the war period; inspired the character of Monsieur Verdoux played by Charlie Chaplin [24]
Lastennet, Claude 1993–1994 5 5 Sentenced to life imprisonment Strangled elderly women [25]
Lefèvre, David 1999–2011 3 3 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Swamp Killer"; killed two acquaintances for trivial disputes and dumped their bodies in swamps, having previously served time for killing a homeless man [26]
Lesage, Celine 2000–2007 6 6 15 years imprisonment Suffocated and strangled her newborn infants in Valognes [27]
Louis, Émile 1975–1980 7 7 Died in prison Prime suspect in the murders of handicapped women in Yonne [28]
Malèvre, Christine 1997–1998 30 30 10 years imprisonment Killed terminally-ill patients in Mantes-la-Jolie [29]
Millet, Albert 1954–2007 3 3 Committed suicide to avoid apprehension Killed two girlfriends and one of his lover's friends in Hyères [30]
Monvoisin, Catherine 17th-century 1000 2500+ Executed 1680 Head of a Paris fortune teller network who sold poisons, contributing to thousands of deaths [31]
Negroiu, Rodica 1982–2004 2 3 Released 2017 Known as "The Poisoner of Maxèville"; Romanian who poisoned two husbands in Nancy, and allegedly her first husband in her home country [32]
Palmier, Yoni 2011–2012 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Perpetrator of the Essonne serial murders [33]
Paulin, Thierry 1984–1987 18 21 Died in prison Known as "The Beast of Montmarte"; gay man who sexually assaulted and murdered old women in Paris [34]
Peiry, Michel 1981–1987 5 11 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Sadist of Romont"; Swiss national who sexually abused and murdered hitchhikers across several European countries and the USA [35]
Pel, Albert 1872–1884 1 4 Died in prison Known as "The Watchmaker of Montreuil"; watchmaker who poisoned his parents and lovers [36]
Pesquet, Bernard 1941–1976 7 7+ Died in prison Known as "The Landru of Val-d'Oise"; killed his best friend in 1941, released from prison and murdered at least six others [37]
Petiot, Marcel 1926–1944 27 63+ Executed 1946 Doctor who murdered would-be refugees fleeing from the Nazis [38]
Philip, Baptistine 1871–1878 3 3 Died in prison Fatally poisoned her employer, husband, and uncle-in-law for monetary gain [39]
Poirson, Louis 1995–2000 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "Rambo"; Malagasy-born stonemason who kidnapped and raped women, killing four of them [40]
Prévost, Victor 1877–1879 2 4 Executed 1880 Known as "The Butcher of La Chapelle"; former peacekeeper who murdered an acquaintance and his mistress; suspect in two disappearances [41]
de Rais, Gilles 15th-century 400 400+ Executed 1440 Compatriot of Joan of Arc and satanist who confessed to murdering scores of children [42]
Riaud, Joseph 1860–1875 1 3 Executed 1876 Beat his third wife to death in 1876, and suspected in the deaths of his previous two spouses [43]
Recco, Tommy 1960–1980 7 10 Sentenced to life imprisonment One of the oldest living French prisoners [44]
Rezala, Sid Ahmed 1999 3 3+ Committed suicide in custody Known as "The Killer of the Trains"; Algerian-born rapist who murdered at least three women near train tracks [45]
Richetto, Luigi 1893–1899 4 4 Died in prison Italian concierge who robbed and murdered three women and one man in Lyon, dismembering their bodies afterwards [46]
Robini, André 1955–1956 3 3 Unknown Known as "The Old Lady Killer"; assaulted and robbed numerous elderly women in Paris and Versailles, killing three of them [47]
Roy, Rémy 1990–1991 3 3 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Minitel Killer"; murdered three gay men after staged sadomasochistic acts [48]
Salameh, Patrick 2008 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Marseille Ripper"; kidnapped, raped and murdered three prostitutes and a student in Marseille [49]
Sasia, Giuseppe 1934 4 5+ Executed 1936 Known as "The Shepherds' Killer"; Italian criminal who killed and then robbed shepherds in Draguignan; suspected of an earlier murder in 1930 [50]
Scieri, Antoinette 1924–1926 12 12 Died in prison Italian-born nurse who poisoned elderly patients with herbicide pyralion [51]
Sedrati, Nadir 1999 3 5 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Cutter of the Canal"; murdered and dismembered three people, disposing of the remains into the Marne-Rhine Canal; suspect in two other disappearances [52]
Siauve, Philippe 1989 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Together with partner Thierry El Borgi and two other accomplices, murdered three women and one man between May and July 1989 [53]
Stranieri, Alfredo 1997–1999 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment Known as "The Classified Ad Killer"; Italian-born con man who committed two double murders in order to obtain property or used cars [54]
Succo, Roberto 1981–1988 7 7 Committed suicide in prison Murdered his parents in native Mestre, Italy, before fleeing to France and killing five more people [55]
Tissier, Patrick 1971–1993 3 3 Sentenced to life imprisonment Rapist who murdered two girls and a woman; his case and that of Christian Van Geloven influenced a judicial reform in France concerning infanticides and child killings [56]
Tomasini, François 1907–1913 3 3 Executed 1914 Shot two men in Volpajola, shortly after his release from prison for a previous murder [57]
Vacher, Joseph 1894–1897 11 27+ Executed 1898 Known as "The French Ripper"; drifter who raped, murdered, dismembered and disemboweled his victims across southeastern regions of the country [58]
Vérove, François 1986–1994 4 4 Committed suicide before any apprehension Nicknamed "Le Grêlé" ("the pockmarked man"), Verove, a former police officer was blamed for four murders and a series of rapes since 1986. His confession was found on his suicide note alongside his body after he committed suicide in 2021. The crimes include the 1986 murder of an 11-year-old child, Cécile Bloch, in Paris. [59][60]
Waxin, Denis 1985–1992 3 3 Sentenced to life imprisonment Pedophile who raped and murdered children in Lille [61]
Weber, Jeanne 1905–1908 10 10+ Committed suicide in prison Insane woman who strangled children, including her own [62]
Weidmann, Eugen 1937 6 6 Executed 1939 German who murdered and robbed people around Paris, including American dancer Jean de Koven; last public execution in the country [63]
Zanchi, Honoré 1992–2009 4 4 Sentenced to life imprisonment; commuted to 30 years Biker who killed assailants of his friends in order to "avenge" them [64]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ronald M. Holmes; Stephen T. Holmes (1998). Contemporary Perspectives on Serial Murder. SAGE Publications. p. 1. ISBN 0-7619-1421-8. Retrieved June 15, 2016. Serial murder is the killing of three or more people over a period of more than 30 days, with a significant cooling-off period between the murders [...] The baseline number of three victims appears to be most common among those who are the academic authorities in the field. The time frame also appears to be an agreed-upon component of the definition.
  2. ^ a b Burkhalter Chmelir 2003, p. 1.
  3. ^ Morton 2005, p. 4, 9.
  4. ^ "Vincenzo Aiutino, le tueur de femmes du pays haut" [Vincenzo Aiutino, the country's top killer of women]. L'Est Républicain (in French). 10 September 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  5. ^ Huret, Marie (7 February 2002). "L'homme qui aimait tuer les femmes" [The man who loved to kill women]. L'Express (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  6. ^ Dumas, Alexandre (1850s). The Marquise de Brinvilliers. Paris: Marpon et Flammarion – via IntraText CT.
  7. ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Brinvilliers, Marie Madeleine Marguerite d'Aubray, Marquise de" . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 572.
  8. ^ "Cour d'assises of Seine. The butcher of Avinain". Criminocorpus (in French). Archived from the original on 17 November 2006. Retrieved 12 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Les grands crimes du XXe siècle: Marcel Barbeault" [The great crimes of the 20th century: Marcel Barbeault]. France-Soir (in French). 9 August 2009. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  10. ^ "13 personnes âgées empoisonnées: l'aide-soignante condamnée à 25 ans" [13 Poisoned seniors: caregiver sentenced to 25 years]. L'Indépendant (in French). 23 May 2017. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  11. ^ Jacobson, Philip (17 December 2000). "Sadistic sergeant tries to escape serial killer trial". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
  12. ^ "Details emerge in French baby killing case". BBC News. 29 July 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Dankerque, "The Monster of Artois", is sentenced to death" (in French). Le Petit Journal. May 20, 1936.
  14. ^ "Martin Dumollard, an orphan turned into serial killer of young girls" (in French). leprogres.fr. 19 October 2013.
  15. ^ 'MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR PARA MURDERERS': April 27, 1991 in L'Humanité (in French)
  16. ^ "Le tueur en série Michel Fourniret a avoué les meurtres de deux femmes" [Serial killer Michel Fourniret confessed to the murders of two women]. Libération (in French). 16 February 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
  17. ^ "JURIDICTION ADMINISTRATIVE — Strasbourg" [ADMINISTRATIVE JURISDICTION — Strasbourg] (in French). Le Droit. August 7, 1854 – via RetroNews.
  18. ^ "Beast of Bastille: Guy Georges – Crime Files". Crime & Investigation Network. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  19. ^ Thiollier, Raphaël (27 October 2010). "Beauvais: mort de Jacquy Haddouche en prison" [Beauvais: death of Jacquy Haddouche in prison]. L'Observateur de Beauvais (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  20. ^ "Tueur en série: l'affaire Yvan Keller est définitivement close" [Serial Killer: The Yvan Keller affair is definitely closed]. Le Parisien (in French). 27 May 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  21. ^ Brouwer, Marilyn (6 September 2017). "Pierre François Lacenaire: The Murderous Poet Dandy who Inspired "Crime and Punishment"". BonjourParis.com. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  22. ^ "HISTORY - Dr. Pierre Laget, the dentist who poisons women". Les Généralistes-CSMF (in French). November 13, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  23. ^ "Lagrée, l'assassin du Quessoy et de Fermanville, a été fusillé" [Lagrée, the murderer of Quessoy and Fermanville, was shot] (in French). L'Ouest-Éclair. August 22, 1916.
  24. ^ Cawthorne, Nigel; Greig, Charlotte (21 September 2017). Serial Killers & Psychopaths. London, UK: Arcturus Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-78828-657-2.
  25. ^ Henry, Michel (23 October 1997). ""Il a fait ce qu'Il avait à faire, sans sentiment". Claude Lastenet a étranglé cinq femmes âgées. Aujourd'hui l'accusé voudrait que ce procès l'aide à comprendre pourquoi cet autre lui-même qu'il appelle "Il" l'a poussé à tuer" ["He did what He had to do, without feeling." Claude Lastenet strangled five elderly women. Today the accused would like this trial to help him understand why this other himself whom he calls "He" pushed him to kill]. Libération (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  26. ^ Alberts, Jennifer (November 15, 2013). "Assises de la Somme: David Lefèvre sentenced to life imprisonment". France 3 Hauts-de-France (in French). Retrieved June 4, 2021.
  27. ^ Davies, Lizzy (March 19, 2010). "French woman sentenced to 15 years for killing six babies". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  28. ^ "French serial killer given life". BBC News. 26 November 2004. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  29. ^ Sage, Adam (16 June 1999). "'Mercy killer' on murder charges". The Times. London, UK – via Academic OneFile.
  30. ^ Boutry, Timothée (November 21, 2007). "Albert Millet, meurtrier jusqu'à son dernier jour" [Albert Millet, murderer until his last day]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  31. ^ Ramsland, Katherine (2005). The Human Predator. New York: Berkley Books. ISBN 978-0-42526-553-6.
  32. ^ Nicolas, Éric (25 January 2015). "Rodica Negroiu: " Ils m'ont volé ma vie… "" [Rodica Negroiu: "They stole my life ..."]. L'Est Républicain (in French). Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  33. ^ "Tueur de l'Essonne: en larmes, l'ex-petite amie raconte sa vie avec l'accusé, Yoni Palmier" [Killer of Essonne: in tears, the ex-girlfriend tells her life with the accused, Yoni Palmier]. Outre-mer la 1ère (in French). 2 April 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  34. ^ Moréas, G. (27 January 2009). "Le complice du tueur des vieilles dames est libéré" [The accomplice of the killer of the old ladies is released]. Le Monde (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  35. ^ "Michel Peiry "Le sadique de Romont"" [Michel Peiry "The sadist of Romont"]. Meurtres en tout genre. 22 November 2007. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  36. ^ Brouardel, Paul (1886). The Pel Affair. Baillière. p. 48.
  37. ^ Jacques Pradel and Charles Deluermoz (March 30, 2017). "Bernard Pesquet, the Landru of Val d'Oise". RTL (in French).
  38. ^ Newton, Michael. "Crime Library: Serial Killers: Dr. Marcel Petiot". TruTV.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-07. Retrieved 2013-06-11.
  39. ^ "A REMARKABLE POISONING CASE". The Queanbeyan Age. October 15, 1879. p. 4. Retrieved 2022-12-06.
  40. ^ Albouy, Stéphane (30 May 2002). "Plongée dans le terrible passé du tueur en série" [Diving into the terrible past of the serial killer]. Le Parisien (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  41. ^ La Lanterne 1879, p. 1
  42. ^ Gribben, Mark. "Gilles de Rais: The Pious Monster". The Crime Library. Archived from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2011.
  43. ^ "The Riaud Affair - Murder - Condemned to Death" (in French). Le Phare de la Loire. November 17, 1875.
  44. ^ Mousset, L. (19 May 2017). "Corse: Tommy Recco, auteur de 7 meurtres, demande une nouvelle fois sa libération à l'âge de 83 ans" [Corsica: Tommy Recco, perpetrator of 7 murders, again requests release at the age of 83]. La Chaîne Info (in French). Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  45. ^ "'Confession' in Peake murder". BBC News. 19 May 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  46. ^ "The crime of Lyon". L'Ouest-Éclair (in French) (160). January 11, 1900. ISSN 1261-6249. Retrieved December 22, 2013..
  47. ^ "André Robini, the Old Lady Killer, will answer for three murders" (in French). La Gazette Provençale. March 26, 1958.
  48. ^ Vital-Durand, Brigitte (29 June 1996). "Le tueur du Minitel condamné à perpétuité. Rémy Roy était jugé pour le meurtre de trois homosexuels rencontrés par le biais de messageries" [The killer of Minitel sentenced to life. Rémy Roy was tried for the murder of three homosexuals met through couriers]. Libération. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  49. ^ "Patrick Salameh: perpetuity confirmed" (in French). France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Retrieved March 25, 2020.
  50. ^ "Faits-Divers: Les assassinats de bergers dans le Haut-Var" [News in brief: The murders of shepherds in the Haut-Var]. Le Temps (in French). 9 December 1934. p. 3. Retrieved 23 November 2019 – via RetroNews.
  51. ^ Nash, Jay Robert (1 November 1986). Look for the Woman: A Narrative Encyclopedia of Female Prisoners, Kidnappers, Thieves, Extortionists, Terrorists, Swindlers and Spies from Elizabethan Times to the Present. Lanham, Maryland: M. Evans and Company. ISBN 978-1-4617-4772-7.
  52. ^ "Nadir Sedrati, tueur machiavélique" [Nadir Sedrati, Machiavellian killer]. L'Est Républicain (in French). 12 September 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  53. ^ 'MAXIMUM PENALTY FOR PARA MURDERERS': April 27, 1991 in L'Humanité (in French)
  54. ^ Bertrand, Olivier (21 July 1999). "Quatre cadavres avec preuves d'achat. Ce sont les ex-propriétaires des commerces rachetés par Stranieri" [Four corpses with proof of purchase. These are the former owners of the shops bought by Stranieri]. Libération. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  55. ^ Romney, Jonathan (2 June 2002). "Cédric Kahn: Inside the mind of a killer". The Independent. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  56. ^ "Patrick Tissier est condamné à la réclusion criminelle à perpétuité" [Patrick Tissier is sentenced to life imprisonment]. La Croix. 2 February 1998. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  57. ^ "Condemned to Death" (in French). L'Écho d'Alger. July 27, 1914.
  58. ^ Lane, Brian; Gregg, Wilfred (1992). The Encyclopedia of Serial Killers. London, UK: Headline. ISBN 978-0-74723-731-0. Yes, I committed the crimes... I committed them all in moments of frenzy.
  59. ^ "French policeman confesses to being serial killer in suicide note". aljazeera.com.
  60. ^ "Le « Grêlé » identifié grâce à l'ADN : il correspond à celui d'un ancien policier et gendarme qui s'est suicidé dans le Gard" par Antoine Albertini, Le Monde, 1er octobre 2021
  61. ^ Renoul, Bruno (4 August 2009). "Le cauchemar du pompiste pédophile" [The nightmare of the pedophile pump attendant]. Nord éclair. Archived from the original on 1 October 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  62. ^ "Jeanne Weber, l'Ogresse de la Goutte d'Or" [Jeanne Weber, the Ogress of the Goutte d'Or]. 28 rue Affre (in French). 27 November 2014. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  63. ^ Flanner, Janet (29 January 1938). "American in Paris". The New Yorker. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  64. ^ "Honoré Zanchi condamné en appel à trente ans de prison" [Honoré Zanchi sentenced to thirty years in prison on appeal]. France Bleu (in French). March 29, 2014. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021.

Bibliography[edit]

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