Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 24, 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
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
×