Trevor O'Keeffe (1968 – 8 August 1987) was an Irish man who was murdered while

hitchhiking Hitchhiking (also known as thumbing, autostop or hitching) is a means of transportation that is gained by asking individuals, usually strangers, for a ride in their car or other vehicle. The ride is usually, but not always, free. Nomads hav ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. His body was found in a shallow grave, having been strangled with a cord. Since 1980, seven young men had disappeared in the so-called 'Triangle of Death' around Mourmelon military camp. A year after O'Keeffe's murder, chief adjutant

Pierre Chanal Pierre Chanal (; 18 November 1946 – 15 October 2003) was a French soldier and suspected serial killer. He was convicted of the rape and kidnapping of a young man, Balázs Falvay, whom he picked up hitchhiking in 1988. He received a ten-year se ...

was stopped by police, who found a Hungarian hitchhiker bound and gagged in the back of his van. In 1990 Chanal was convicted of

kidnapping In criminal law, kidnapping is the unlawful confinement of a person against their will, often including transportation/asportation. The asportation and abduction element is typically but not necessarily conducted by means of force or fear: the p ...

and

rape Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or ag ...

. He was released from prison in 1995. O'Keeffe's mother, Eroline, tried for 16 years to get the French authorities to bring Chanal to trial for the murder of her son. Chanal committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...

in the hospital after his previous attempt in prison in 2003 while on trial. Mrs. O'Keeffe later wrote a book about her experiences.

References

External links

* http://www.disparusdemourmelon.org * http://www.dominique59121.skyrock.com 1968 births 1987 deaths People from Naas Irish people murdered abroad People murdered in France Irish expatriates in France Murder victims from County Kildare {{Ireland-bio-stub