François Vérove (22 January 1962 – 29 September 2021), also known as ''Le Grêlé'' (the "Pockmarked Man"), was a French

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

rapist 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, Abusive power and control, ...

and police officer who murdered at least three people between 1986 and 1994 in the

Île-de-France , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST = CEST , utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product , blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st , bla ...

region. He received his nickname from

acne scars Acne, also known as ''acne vulgaris'', is a long-term skin condition that occurs when dead skin cells and oil from the skin clog hair follicles. Typical features of the condition include blackheads or whiteheads, pimples, oily skin, and po ...

seen on his face by witnesses following his first murder. Vérove 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 September 2021 upon realizing that he was about to be identified. Vérove's first murder, that of 11-year-old Cécile Bloch, took place in the

19th arrondissement The 19th arrondissement of Paris (''XIXe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''dix-neuvième''. The arrondissement, known as Butte-Chaumont, i ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

in 1986. The following year he murdered two adults in the 4th arrondissement. He was linked to two further murders in 1991 and 1994, as well as two rapes in 1987 and 1994. During his crime spree, Vérove belonged to various French police forces; he was a member of the National Gendarmerie between 1983 and 1988, serving as a motorcyclist in the

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

, then became an officer in the National Police in Paris until his retirement in 2019. He briefly held elected office as a municipal councillor in

Prades-le-Lez Prades-le-Lez (; oc, Pradas de Les) is a commune in the Hérault department in the Occitanie region in southern France. Geography Climate Prades-le-Lez has a mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification ''Csa''). The average annual temp ...

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.summons A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form and in the Australian state of New South Wales as a court attendance notice (CAN)) is a legal document issued by a court (a ''judicial summons'') or by an administrative agency of governme ...

to provide a DNA sample as part of an investigation into the Bloch killing. His wife reported him missing on 27 September. Two days later, Vérove killed himself by

barbiturate Barbiturates are a class of depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological addiction potential as we ...

overdose in a rented flat in

Le Grau-du-Roi Le Grau-du-Roi (; oc, Lo Grau dau Rei) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to th ...

Gard Gard () is a department in Southern France, located in the region of Occitanie. It had a population of 748,437 as of 2019; He left behind a suicide note in which he confessed to his crimes.

Early life

François Vérove was born on 22 January 1962 in

Gravelines Gravelines (, ; ; ) is a commune in the Nord department in Northern France. It lies at the mouth of the river Aa southwest of Dunkirk. It was formed in the 12th century around the mouth of a canal built to connect Saint-Omer with the sea. As ...

Nord Nord, a word meaning "north" in several European languages, may refer to: Acronyms * National Organization for Rare Disorders, an American nonprofit organization * New Orleans Recreation Department, New Orleans, Louisiana, US Film and televisi ...

, France, and grew up in nearby

Marcq-en-Barœul Marcq-en-Barœul (; pcd, Marke-in-Bareul; older nl, Marke) is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is a suburb of the city of Lille, and is immediately adjacent to it on the northeast. It is ...

. An only child, Vérove was raised by his strict father, his stepmother and two half-sisters; his birth mother had died of

influenza Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease caused by influenza viruses. Symptoms range from mild to severe and often include fever, runny nose, sore throat, muscle pain, headache, coughing, and fatigue. These symptoms ...

two weeks before the family moved from Gravelines. As a youth, Vérove was said to be a fan of

horror Horror may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Genres *Horror fiction, a genre of fiction ** Japanese horror, Japanese horror fiction **Korean horror, Korean horror fiction * Horror film, a film genre *Horror comics, comic books focusing o ...

films such as ''

Cannibal Holocaust ''Cannibal Holocaust'' is a 1980 Italian found footage cannibal horror film directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici. It stars Robert Kerman as Harold Monroe, an anthropologist from New York University who leads a rescue ...

''. Vérove was married in June 1985.

Education and career

In 1983, Vérove moved to

and joined the National Gendarmerie, serving in the motorcycle squadron of the

. By 1988 he had switched to the National Police and its jurisdictions in the Paris Police Prefecture, performing his duties in the department of

Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a Departments of France, département in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region, Northern France. It covers Paris's western inner Banlieue, suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the e ...

in the

Île-de-France , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 = +01:00 , timezone1_DST = CEST , utc_offset1_DST = +02:00 , blank_name_sec1 = Gross regional product , blank_info_sec1 = Ranked 1st , bla ...

region. Throughout his police career, Vérove participated in

trade union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...

activities and served as a

delegate Delegate or delegates may refer to: * Delegate, New South Wales, a town in Australia * Delegate (CLI), a computer programming technique * Delegate (American politics), a representative in any of various political organizations * Delegate (United ...

. He was described by a former friend as kind and "a gentleman to everyone" yet could nevertheless could "get angry easily". During his police career, Vérove lived in Longperrier, Seine-et-Marne, in a house he himself constructed for his family. He then moved to the south of France, first settling in Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône and then in Martigues, both in

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( , , ; oc, Bocas de Ròse ; "Mouths of the Rhône") is a department in Southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the south. Its prefecture and large ...

. Following his retirement, Vérove moved to

Hérault Hérault (; oc, Erau, ) is a department of the region of Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault River, its prefecture is Montpellier. It had a population of 1,175,623 in 2019.La Grande-Motte La Grande-Motte (; oc, La Mota Granda) is a commune in the Hérault département in Occitanie in southern France. It is a popular seaside resort and port, built in the 1960s and 1970s. La Grande-Motte is characterized by homogeneous architecture ...

, where he resided until close to the time of his death in September 2021.

Confirmed crimes

13th arrondissement victim (1986)

On 7 April 1986, in the

13th arrondissement of Paris The 13th arrondissement of Paris (''XIIIe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''treizième''. The arrondissement, called Gobelins, is situated ...

, Vérove encountered an eight-year-old girl in an elevator as she was traveling to school. He forcibly dragged the girl to a basement of her apartment building,

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 ...

d her and attempted to

strangle Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and is one of two main ways that hanging ...

her with a cord. Presumably believing he had killed her, Vérove fled the scene. However, the victim survived the assault and alerted authorities.

Cécile Bloch (1986)

Less than a month later, on 5 May 1986, eleven-year-old Cécile Bloch was also traveling to school when she encountered Vèrove in the elevator of her apartment building, located at 116 Rue Petit in the

19th arrondissement of Paris The 19th arrondissement of Paris (''XIXe arrondissement'') is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. In spoken French, this arrondissement is referred to as ''dix-neuvième''. The arrondissement, known as Butte-Chaumont, ...

. Vérove forcibly took her to a room in the basement of the building, raped her and proceeded to stab and strangle her. The assault was so violent that Bloch's spine was broken. Bloch's body was discovered later that day wrapped in a carpet. Witnesses who observed Vérove at the apartment building, who included Bloch's parents and half-brother, recalled his face being covered in

; this description was included in

facial composite A facial composite is a graphical representation of one or more eyewitnesses' memories of a face, as recorded by a composite artist. Facial composites are used mainly by police in their investigation of (usually serious) crimes. These images a ...

s of the suspect and led to the French press dubbing him ''Le Grêlé'' (the "Pockmarked Man").

Politi-Müller case (1987)

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Vérove struck again eleven months later, on 28 April 1987, this time targeting two adults. His victims were Gilles Politi, a 38-year-old aerial technician, and Irmgard Müller, a German '' au pair'' employed by Politi's family, in an apartment in the

Marais Marais (, meaning "marsh") may refer to: People * Marais (given name) * Marais (surname) Other uses * Le Marais, historic district of Paris * Théâtre du Marais, the name of several theatres and theatrical troupes in Paris, France * Marais (com ...

district of Paris. Their bodies were discovered together in the apartment: Politi had been stripped naked and forced to lie face down, with his arms and legs bound in a "choke lace"; while Müller had been hung by her arms from the upright frame of a

bunk bed A bunk bed is a type of bed in which one bed frame is stacked on top of another, allowing two or more beds to occupy the floor space usually required by just one. They are commonly seen on ships, in the military, and in hostels, Dormitory, dor ...

, her throat slashed with a knife. Both victims had suffered physical torture via cigarette burns prior to death. Police believed that the killer had been in a personal relationship with Müller. Her contact book included a name, "Élie Lauringe", which did not exist in France's civil registry, leading investigators to believe that the name had been a

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

. Witnesses reported seeing an athletic man in his twenties enter Müller's apartment on the Rue de Sévigné on 27 April; he was seen again communicating with Müller through her

intercom An intercom, also called an intercommunication device, intercommunicator, or interphone, is a stand-alone voice communications system for use within a building or small collection of buildings which functions independently of the public telephon ...

the following morning, shortly before the killing took place.

14th arrondissement victim (1987)

On 27 October 1987, a fourteen-year-old girl returning home from school was stopped by Vérove, who identified himself as a police officer and claimed he needed to question her for an investigation. Vérove soon dragged his victim into an apartment before handcuffing and raping her. He left the victim alive after burglarizing the apartment.

"Ingrid G." (1994)

After a seven-year lull in activity, ''Le Grêlé'' resurfaced in Mitry-Mory, Seine-et-Marne, on 29 June 1994. An eleven-year-old girl, identified in reports as "Ingrid G.", was cycling along a high-speed railway line when she was approached by Vérove, who demanded that she enter his car on the pretense of being taken to the police station. Upon being abducted, Ingrid was driven more than an hour away to an abandoned farm at Saclay,

Essonne Essonne () is a department of France in the southern Île-de-France region. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659 across 194 communes.walkie-talkies; spoke recognizable police

jargon Jargon is the specialized terminology associated with a particular field or area of activity. Jargon is normally employed in a particular Context (language use), communicative context and may not be well understood outside that context. The conte ...

; and possessed an extensive knowledge of investigative procedure which he used to escape detection. In the Politi-Müller case, the suspect had given a false address for "Élie Lauringe" which was traced back to a former office in the 13th arrondissement. The final confirmed ''Le Grêlé'' attack took place in Saclay, where a gendarmerie training center was located. Müller's

autopsy An autopsy (post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of death or to evaluate any di ...

determined that, before her death, she had had consensual sex with an unidentified man whose semen was recovered from a tampon. It wasn't until 2001 that a DNA sample taken from the tampon linked the Politi-Müller case to the murder of Cécile Bloch.

Fingerprint A fingerprint is an impression left by the friction ridges of a human finger. The recovery of partial fingerprints from a crime scene is an important method of forensic science. Moisture and grease on a finger result in fingerprints on surfac ...

s were also recovered from cigarette butts found at the Politi-Müller murder scene. Investigators collected DNA evidence from non-fatal attack in the 14th arrondissement, but that attack wouldn't be conclusively linked to Vérove's other crimes until nine years later. Further forensic evidence was collected in the "Ingrid G." attack, which was soon to the earlier cases.

Death

In 2021, Nathalie Turquey, an investigating judge who had taken over the ''Le Grêlé'' case in 2014, requested the

summons A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form and in the Australian state of New South Wales as a court attendance notice (CAN)) is a legal document issued by a court (a ''judicial summons'') or by an administrative agency of governme ...

of 750 gendarmes who had been active in the Île-de-France region at the time of the original crime spree, in which each man was asked to submit a DNA sample. On 24 September 2021, Vérove received his summons via telephone and quickly fled his home in La Grande-Motte; his wife reported him

missing Missing or The Missing may refer to: Film * ''Missing'' (1918 film), an American silent drama directed by James Young * ''Missing'' (1982 film), an American historical drama directed by Costa-Gavras * ''Missing'' (2007 film) (''Vermist''), a Bel ...

on 27 September. Vérove rented an apartment in the coastal commune of Le-Grau-du-Roi, where he committed

by via overdosing on

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

and

s on 29 September 2021. Vérove left behind a suicide note, addressed to his wife, in which he admitted to being "a great criminal who committed unforgivable acts until the end of the 1990s" and claimed to have acted under the influence of "impulses"; he also claimed to have suppressed these impulses when he started his family. Vérove's note also claimed that he had "done nothing since 1997", implying he committed other crimes that the authorities weren't yet aware of. Two days after Vérove's death, the

prosecutor A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the Civil law (legal system), civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the ...

's office in Paris announced that a "DNA comparison asestablished today a match between the dna profile found at several crime scenes and that of the deceased man."

Other alleged victims

After his identification, in September 2021, François Vérove is suspected of being the author of other attacks and crimes. Specializing in the oldest "cold-cases", criminologist Corinne Herrmann hypothesizes that the "Grêlé" could potentially be involved in the murders of: * Sophie Narne (23), was murdered in an apartment she was showing in the 19th arrondissement of Paris on 5 December 1991. * Karine Leroy (19), disappeared in Meaux on 9 June 1994; her body was found in a nearby forest a month later. In March 2022, two books, devoted to the crimes of François Vérove, were published in order to consider the possibility that Vérove could have caused more victims. Brendan Kemmet and Stéphane Sellami, two investigative journalists, released ''La Traque du Grêlé''. The journalist Patricia Tourancheau, who also looks into the case of François Vérove, also publishes a book entitled ''Le Grêlé''. The killer was a cop. It is in this context that the investigators on the "Grêlé" affair are working on 31 victims attributable to Vérove, including 9 murders.