TV series: “Grêlé”, a serial killer in the Marais

One of the most heinous crimes in French criminal history was committed in the Marais, at 7, rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie, right next to the Point-Virgule, on the 4th floor, on a weekday between 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.

Fortunately, that was a long time ago, in April 1987. This is what we learn – or remind us, for the older ones – from the chilling documentary “Insoupçonnable, l’affaire du Grêlé” devoted to the serial killer François Verove, who died by suicide in 2021 when he was about to be unmasked.

Currently being shown in Replay on France 2, this four-part series retraces the story of a case that remained mysterious for over thirty years: that of the rapist and child killer who became an adult killer in the Marais.

A good part of this fascinating documentary concerns the 4th arrondissement: Verove is a former gendarme of the Republican Guard stationed at the Célestins barracks (Boulevard Henri IV). His double murder, which resembles a sadomasochistic scene – the two victims are tied, naked, to the posts of their bed – takes place on Rue Sainte-Croix-de-la-Bretonnerie. And the female victim, a 20-year-old German au pair, lives on Rue de Sévigné.

The series is available on France 2 until April 9, 2025.