Beautiful Virgin Islands

Wednesday, Aug 27, 2025

Former French police officer confesses in suicide note to being notorious serial killer & child rapist

Former French police officer confesses in suicide note to being notorious serial killer & child rapist

A man who served as a gendarme in Paris has admitted to being behind a number of cold-blooded murders and rapes that terrorized France for decades. He took his own life this week, having been summoned for a DNA test.
Identified in the media as François Verove, aged 59, he was found dead on Wednesday in a rented apartment in Le Grau-du-Roi, a resort on France’s Mediterranean coast. A note found in the flat read, “I admit to being a prominent criminal who committed unforgivable acts until the end of the 1990s,” according to reports in French outlets, which said he had died from a drugs overdose.

Samples from the now-posthumous DNA test were confirmed to have matched those found on evidence at several old crime scenes.

The serial killer, who became known as ‘the Pockmarked Man’ (‘Le Grele’) because of witnesses’ recollections of his acne-scarred face, is believed to have murdered at least four people and committed at least six rapes, with most of his victims having been underage girls.

Verove committed his first murder in 1986: an 11-year-old girl was found raped, strangled, and stabbed in the basement of the apartment building in Fontainebleau where she lived with her family. A stranger who was seen by the girl’s relatives near the murder site and later became the prime suspect had distinctively blemished skin. Next year, the almost-naked body of a 20-year-old German au pair was discovered hanged by the arms as if crucified, while another victim, a 38-year-old man, was found strangled nearby, his arms and legs tied together behind his back. A cigarette found at the scene was retrieved for analysis.

Investigators later attributed more crimes to the serial killer, including the rape and murder of minors in different Paris arrondissements, and the kidnapping and rape of an 11-year-old girl in 1994.

To trick one of his younger victims, the Pockmarked Man presented his police ID, investigators discovered. They already had their suspicions that the attacker might have worked in law enforcement, as he appeared to have inside knowledge of investigative procedures and how to evade detection. This gave them a valuable lead. Before his suicide, Verove had been summoned for a DNA test, along with around 800 others who were members of the Paris gendarmerie at the time of the crimes. However, on the week of his scheduled appointment, he disappeared.

In his confession letter, referencing his criminal proclivities, the former police officer wrote that he had “done nothing since 1997.” He claimed in it that childhood issues had led him to commit violence, but that he had “appeased the demons” after meeting his wife and fathering his own children. No details of his crimes, their circumstances, nor the victims were mentioned in the note, reports say, leaving investigators pondering whether there were others who had suffered at his hands. The families of his confirmed victims are understood to be distressed that they will not now see justice for their loved ones.

Verove was in the cavalry of the Republican Guard in the 1980s and then joined the ranks of the police in Montpellier. He was also reportedly a member of the town council in Prades-le-Lez in southern France.

The search for the culprit was the longest investigation ever undertaken by Parisian detectives, according to local media. Their efforts and determination have been praised by the prosecutor’s office, which, on the strength of their success, intends to expand and improve the work of French police’s recently launched ‘cold cases’ unit.

“This outcome is absolutely incredible,” the lawyer for one of the alleged rape victims said, as quoted by Le Parisien newspaper. “My client has always believed that Le Grele was still alive, while I, as a professional, have several times thought the opposite.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Spotify’s Strange Move: The Feature Nobody Asked For – Returns
Manhunt in Australia: Armed Anti-Government Suspect Kills Police Officers Sent to Arrest Him
China Launches World’s Most Powerful Neutrino Detector
How Beijing-Linked Networks Shape Elections in New York City
Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska Fled War To US, Stabbed To Death
Elon Musk Sues Apple and OpenAI Over Alleged App Store Monopoly
2 Australian Police Shot Dead In Encounter In Rural Victoria State
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
×