Marcel Barbeault murdered innocent people to avenge his mother’s death – G.cz

A murderer with his principles

Marcel Henri Barbeault was a French serial killer who murdered seven women and one man in the 1970s. He was born on August 10, 1941 in Liancourt. He earned his nickname “The Shadow Killer” because he committed his crimes either early in the morning or after dark.
Barbeault left school at an early age and began working in a factory at the age of fourteen, where he became a member of the Young Christian Workers association. In 1960 he joined the army and then went to Algeria where he cared for wounded soldiers in the war. After returning home, he became interested in boxing and judo. The war made him interested in a career in the security forces, but due to problems with vertigo and failed entrance tests, he gave up on his dreams to focus on his family.

He got married at the same time. His wife Josiane bore him two sons, Patrice and Laurent. He seemed to have found a new purpose in life in his family. In addition, he became a very popular person among the neighbors. However, everything suddenly changed when his mother Micheline died one day. She fought breast cancer for the last years of her life. In addition, he lost his two brothers, which left him with deep scars. At first he coped with this by petty theft, but gradually he turned to murder.

Barbeault had a systematic and very meticulous approach to murder. He followed his victims for several days to learn their daily routine. He used a shovel or a rifle to commit the murders, and after the victim’s death he always stripped her of her clothes without dishonoring her in any way. However, he took the victim’s purse as a souvenir.

He managed to evade the police for seven long years because he appeared to be a popular and likeable man who loved his family. His schizophrenic behavior and ability to pretend to be another person allowed him to avoid suspicion. But then the police received an anonymous tip that described the man: “35 years old, height 180 cm, married to a blonde, has two children, served in Algeria and likes to box.” Even so, Commissioner Christian Jacob did not call Barbeault in for questioning and only listed him as a potential suspect.

Inspector Daniel Neveu began a new investigation and found that the murder sites formed a triangle around the cemetery where Barbeault’s mother was buried. All the murders also took place during his free time. Along with the anonymous tip, it looked like more than a coincidence.

During a search of the house, the police found several items of clothing and a rifle, which, according to ballistics analysis, was connected to the murders of the women. Marcel Barbeault never pleaded guilty, even when faced with overwhelming evidence in court. He avoided the death penalty because the new French president, François Mitterrand, abolished it. Nevertheless, Barbeault was given a life sentence and is now serving his sentence in Saint-Maur prison, where he works as a librarian.

sources of information:

Wikipedia.org: Marcel Barbeault

Serialkillercalendar.com: Marcel Henri Barbeault

Murderpedia.org: Marcel Barbeault