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

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

rapist 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 wh ...

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

Île-de-France The Île-de-France (; ; ) is the most populous of the eighteen regions of France, with an official estimated population of 12,271,794 residents on 1 January 2023. Centered on the capital Paris, it is located in the north-central part of the cou ...

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, ...

seen on his face by witnesses following his first murder. 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 city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

in 1986. The following year he murdered two adults in the 4th arrondissement of the city. 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 The National Gendarmerie ( ) is one of two national law enforcement forces of France, along with the National Police (France), National Police. The Gendarmerie is a branch of the French Armed Forces placed under the jurisdiction of the Minister ...

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,

Hérault Hérault (; , ) is a departments of France, department of the Regions of France, region of Occitania (administrative region), Occitania, Southern France. Named after the Hérault (river), Hérault River, its Prefectures in France, prefecture is M ...

, between 2019 and 2020. On 24 September 2021, Vérove received a police

summons A summons (also known in England and Wales as a claim form or plaint note, 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 ag ...

to provide a

DNA sample Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...

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, depressant drugs that are chemically derived from barbituric acid. They are effective when used medication, medically as anxiolytics, hypnotics, and anticonvulsants, but have physical and psychological a ...

overdose in a rented flat in

Le Grau-du-Roi Le Grau-du-Roi (; ) 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 the east is the Bouc ...

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 A suicide note or death note is a message written by a person who intends to die by suicide. A study examining Japanese suicide notes estimated that 25–30% of suicides are accompanied by a note. However, incidence rates may depend on ethnic ...

in which he confessed to his crimes.

Early life

François Vérove was born on 22 January 1962 in

Gravelines Gravelines ( , ; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord departments of France, department in Northern France. It lies at the mouth of the river Aa (France), Aa southwest of Dunkirk, France, Dunkirk. It was form ...

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 (; ; older ) is a commune in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region, northern France. It is a suburb of the city of Lille, and is immediately adjacent to it on the northeast. It is the sixth-largest component of the ...

. 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 sympto ...

two weeks before the family moved from Gravelines when he was ten years old. Vérove later confided to a psychiatrist that he had been raped by his father at the same age. Vérove was described by some as a melancholic teenager who had suicidal thoughts, suggesting to one of his friends that they commit suicide together. 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 **Psychological horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Christmas horror, a subgenre of horror fiction **Analog horror, a subgenre of horror fiction * ...

films such as ''

Cannibal Holocaust ''Cannibal Holocaust'' is a 1980 Italian cannibal film directed by Ruggero Deodato and written by Gianfranco Clerici. It stars Robert Kerman as Harold Monroe, an anthropologist who leads a rescue team into the Amazon rainforest to locate a ...

''. Vérove married in June 1985.

Education and career

In 1983, Vérove moved to

and joined the

, serving in the motorcycle squadron of the

. By 1988 he had switched to the National Police and its jurisdictions in the

Paris Police Prefecture The Paris Police Prefecture ( ), officially the Police Prefecture (), is the unit of the French Minister of the Interior (France), Ministry of the Interior that provides police, emergency services, and various administrative services to the po ...

, performing his duties in the department of

Hauts-de-Seine Hauts-de-Seine (; ) is a department in the Île-de-France region of France. It covers Paris's western inner suburbs. It is bordered by Paris, Seine-Saint-Denis and Val-de-Marne to the east, Val-d'Oise to the north, Yvelines to the west and ...

in the

region. Throughout his police career, Vérove participated in

trade union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...

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 S ...

. He was described by a former friend as "a gentleman to everyone" yet nevertheless could "get angry easily". During his police career, Vérove lived in

Longperrier Longperrier () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics Inhabitants are called ''Longperrois''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The following is a l ...

Seine-et-Marne Seine-et-Marne () is a department in the Île-de-France region in Northern France. Named after the rivers Seine and Marne, it is the region's largest department with an area of 5,915 square kilometres (2,284 square miles); it roughly covers its ...

, in a house he himself built for his family. He then moved to the south of France, first settling in

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (; ) is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in southern France. History The commune was created in 1904 from parts of the communes of Arles and Fos-sur-Mer. The Saint-Louis channel was dug in 1871. The p ...

and then in

Martigues Martigues ( in classical norm, ''Lou Martegue'' in Mistralian norm) is a commune northwest of Marseille. It is part of the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region on the eastern end of the Canal de Caronte. A ...

, both in

Bouches-du-Rhône Bouches-du-Rhône ( ; , ; ; "the Mouths of the Rhône") is a Departments of France, department in southern France. It borders Vaucluse to the north, Gard to the west and Var (department), Var to the east. The Mediterranean Sea lies to the sout ...

. Following his retirement, Vérove moved to Prades-le-Lez,

, where he was elected as a municipal councillor in 2019. The following year, he moved elsewhere in Hérault to

La Grande-Motte La Grande-Motte (; ) is a commune in the Hérault département in Occitanie in southern France. It is a popular seaside resort and port near Montpellier, built in the 1960s and 1970s. La Grande-Motte is characterized by homogeneous architectur ...

, where he resided until close to the time of his death in September 2021. Vérove appeared in 2019 on the show ''

Tout le monde veut prendre sa place ''Tout le monde veut prendre sa place'' (sometimes abbreviated TLMVPSP) (English translation: ''Everyone Wants to Take His/Her Place'') is a French television game show, broadcast since 3 July 2006, produced by Air Productions and Effervescence. ...

'' on state channel France 2 and told the host that he kept walkers in a Paris park safe.

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 Paris, arrondissements of Paris. In spoken French, the arrondissement is referred to as ''le treizième'' ("the thirteenth"). The arrondissement is ...

, Vérove encountered an 8-year-old girl in an elevator as she was travelling to school. He forcibly dragged the girl to a basement of her apartment building,

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 ...

d her and attempted to

strangle Strangling or strangulation is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain by restricting the flow of oxygen through the trachea. Fatal strangulation typically occurs ...

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, 11-year-old Cécile Bloch was also on her way 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. 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)

P1100813 Paris IV rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie rwk

Vérove struck again eleven months later, on 28 April 1987, this time targeting two adults. His victims were Gilles Politi, a 38-year-old mechanic for

Air France Air France (; legally ''Société Air France, S.A.''), stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the flag carrier of France, and is headquartered in Tremblay-en-France. The airline is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and is one of the founding members ...

, and Irmgard Müller, a German ''

au pair An au pair (; : au pairs) is a person working for, and living as part of, a homestay, host family. Typically, au pairs take on a share of the family’s responsibility for child care as well as some homemaking, housework, and receive a monetary ...

'' 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 behind him, and was killed by strangulation with a garrotte; while Müller had been hung by her arms from the upright frame of a

bunk bed A bunk bed or set of bunks is a type of bed in which one bed frame (a bunk) is stacked on top of another bed, allowing two or more sleeping-places to occupy the floor space usually required by just one. Bunks are commonly seen on ships, in th ...

, 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 Civil registration is the system by which a government records the vital events ( births, marriages, and deaths) of its citizens and residents. The resulting repository or database has different names in different countries and even in diffe ...

, leading investigators to believe that the name had been a

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

. 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 front-door

intercom An intercom, also called an intercommunication device, intercommunicator, or interphone, is a stand-alone voice communications system for use within a building, small collection of buildings or portably within a small coverage area, which funct ...

the following morning, shortly before the killing.

14th arrondissement victim (1987)

On 27 October 1987, a 14-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. Once inside her apartment, Vérove handcuffed and raped her. He left his victim alive after

burgling Burglary, also called breaking and entering (B&E) or housebreaking, is a property crime involving the illegal entry into a building or other area without permission, typically with the intention of committing a further criminal offence. Usually ...

the apartment. Although, based on her description, ''Le Grêlé'' was suspected to have been the perpetrator, he was not confirmed by DNA analysis to have been such until 1996.

"Ingrid G." (1994)

After a seven-year lull in activity, ''Le Grêlé'' resurfaced in

Mitry-Mory Mitry-Mory () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-eastern suburbs of Paris from the center just off the N2 national highway. About one-sixth of Charles ...

, on 29 June 1994. An 11-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 pretence of being taken to the police station. Upon being abducted, Ingrid was driven more than an hour away to an abandoned farm at

Saclay Saclay () is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris. It is best known for the large scientific facility CEA Saclay, mostly dealing with nuclear and particle physics. Population Inhabit ...

Essonne Essonne () is a department in the southern part of the Île-de-France region in Northern France. It is named after the river Essonne. In 2019, it had a population of 1,301,659, across 194 communes.walkie-talkie A walkie-talkie, more formally known as a handheld transceiver, HT, or handheld radio, is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald Hings, radio engineer A ...

s; speaking recognisable police

jargon Jargon, or technical language, 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 ...

; and possessing 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 centre was located. Müller's

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as 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 deat ...

determined that, before her death, she had had consensual sex with an unidentified man whose semen was recovered from a

tampon A tampon is a menstrual product designed to absorb blood and vaginal secretions by insertion into the vagina during menstruation. Unlike a pad, it is placed internally, inside of the vaginal canal. Once inserted correctly, a tampon is held ...

. It was not 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 surfa ...

s were also recovered from cigarette butts found at the Politi-Müller murder scene. Investigators collected DNA evidence from a 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 tied to the earlier cases.

Death

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

to be issued 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 about the 1973 coup in Chile *, a Belgian film ...

on 27 September. Vérove rented an apartment in the coastal commune of

, where he 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 ...

by overdosing on

alcohol Alcohol may refer to: Common uses * Alcohol (chemistry), a class of compounds * Ethanol, one of several alcohols, commonly known as alcohol in everyday life ** Alcohol (drug), intoxicant found in alcoholic beverages ** Alcoholic beverage, an alco ...

and

s on 29 September 2021. Vérove left behind a

, addressed to his wife, in which he admitted to being "a great criminal who committed unforgivable deeds until the end of the 1990s" and claimed to have acted under the influence of "impulses"; he also said that he'd suppressed these impulses when he started his family. Vérove's note claimed that he had "done nothing since 1997", implying he committed other crimes of which the authorities were not yet aware. Two days after Vérove's death, the

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

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

Possible victims

Vérove is suspected of being the perpetrator of other attacks and crimes. Criminologist Corinne Herrmann has hypothesised that Vérove could potentially be involved in the following murders: * Sophie Narme (23), an estate agent, was raped and strangled in an apartment she was showing in the 19th arrondissement of Paris on 5 December 1991. In 2022 a different suspect was questioned about the matter. The individual in question was confirmed three years later to be

Dominique Pelicot "Dominique" is a 1963 French language popular song, written and performed by Belgian singer Jeannine Deckers, better known as Sœur Sourire ("Sister Smile" in French) or The Singing Nun. The song is about Saint Dominic, a Spanish-born priest an ...

, the notorious serial rapist, who was reinterrogated by investigating magistrates in January 2025. * Karine Leroy (19), disappeared in

Meaux Meaux () is a Communes of France, commune on the river Marne (river), Marne in the Seine-et-Marne Departments of France, department in the Île-de-France Regions of France, region in the Functional area (France), metropolitan area of Paris, Franc ...

on 9 June 1994; her body was found in a nearby forest a month later. In August 2024 investigators named three additional murders of which Vérove is suspected: * Virginie Delmas, a ten-year-old girl, was kidnapped from her place of residence in

Neuilly-sur-Marne Neuilly-sur-Marne (, ) is a French commune in the Seine-Saint-Denis department, Île-de-France. It is located from the center of Paris. Geography Crossed by the river Marne. Climate Neuilly-sur-Marne has an oceanic climate (Köppen climat ...

, in the eastern suburbs of Paris on 9 May 1987. Her body was found five months later in an orchard near

Mareuil-lès-Meaux Mareuil-lès-Meaux (, literally ''Mareuil near Meaux'') is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Population Inhabitants are called ''Mareuillois'' in French. See also *Communes of th ...

, 30 km to the east. Two of her friends recalled seeing her in the company of a brown-haired man of around 25 who drove a motorcycle, both descriptions matching Vérove. * Perinne Vigneron, aged seven, was kidnapped on 3 June 1987, less than a month after Virginie Delmas' disappearance, in

Bouleurs Bouleurs () is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. Demographics The inhabitants are called ''Bouleurois''. See also *Communes of the Seine-et-Marne department The following is a l ...

, just 6 km from where Delmas' body would eventually be found. Five weeks later, Vigneron was found dead in Chelles, 10 km east of the place where Delmas was abducted. Police speculated that the killer lived in the area. * "Gilbert G.," a 43-year-old industrial designer, was found tied to a tree on 6 June 1990 in woods near Saint-Aubin (Essonne), southwest of Paris. He had been shot in the head the same day; passers-by were attracted to the scene by the barking of his dog. The murder weapon proved to be a MAC 50 automatic pistol, the standard sidearm for the ''gendarmerie'' at the time. The killer was later confirmed to have used the victim's chequebook to buy a motorcycle and a video-cassette recorder, and to have presented a ''gendarmes identity card at the time of purchase. In March 2022, two books about Vérove were published which considered the possibility that Vérove could have killed more victims. According to the authors, investigators on the "Grêlé" affair are working on 31 victims attributable to Vérove, including nine murders.