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. Signaling ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. 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 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 Kidnapping or abduction is the unlawful abduction and confinement of a person against their will, and is a crime in many jurisdictions. Kidnapping may be accomplished by use of force or fear, or a victim may be enticed into confinement by frau ...

and

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

. 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. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

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

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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 1987 crimes in France {{Ireland-bio-stub