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Here’s the story of the most famous serial killers in Paris

undefined undefined 23 février 2025 undefined 20h00

The Editor

© France TV / Wikicommons

Starting from February 21st, the Montparnasse Galleries invite you to dive into the twisted minds and worlds of history's greatest serial killers, thanks to the exhibition Serial Killer. But before we take a closer look at the lives of Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, or Charles Manson—a delightful moment to look forward to—we thought we’d take a little trip around our area to see the worst that the capital and its residents are capable of. Just a heads up: sensitive souls, proceed with caution, as these stories might not be for everyone.


Guy Georges, or « the killer of East Paris »

He might just be the most infamously famous serial killer on this list. In the 80s and 90s, Guy Rampillon, his birth name, terrorized the streets of the capital. After a childhood marked by violence, he spent two decades committing crimes throughout the city, raping and killing his victims primarily in East Paris (although his first recognized crime in Paris took place in the 16th district in 1981). This choice of activity neighborhood also earned him the nickname « the ogre of Bastille ». It wasn’t until March 26, 1998 that he was arrested for the 3rd time, this time for good, and sentenced to life imprisonment with a security period of 22 years. In total, there are about ten murders and rapes of women that are attributed to him.


François Vérove, also known as the "Grêlé"

This is undoubtedly one of the biggest crime stories in the capital, as the identity of the "Grêlé" remained a mystery for 35 years. A nickname given to François Vérove, then an unknown gendarme, following descriptions from several witnesses of his crimes featuring a man with an "irregular" face. Although his first known crime dates back to April 7, 1986, when he lured an 8-year-old girl into the basement of a building to sexually assault and strangle her—without killing her—he wouldn’t receive his first summons for a check-up until 2021. Decades went by during which he continued to live his quiet life, even participating in Everyone wants to take their place in 2019, before becoming worried by the law. An event after which François Vérove chose to take his own life, before his DNA could link him to about ten rapes and murders, mostly involving minors, spanning over 8 years in the streets of Paris.


Marcel Petiot, known as "the doctor"

This time, we're going back in time to explore the story of Marcel Petiot, who arrived in Paris in 1936 at the age of 33. He had already been pursued by the law for several "minor" offenses, like theft and embezzlement. And clearly, the capital gives him wings as he decides to level up, seizing the opportunity of the Second World War to satisfy his murderous impulses. For over a year, he lures in undocumented individuals to his office, under the pretense of offering them a way out from the Nazi regime. But the reality is quite different. In March 1944, the police, alerted by neighbors regarding ... smoked and unbearable odors fill his home, where he discovers the remains of 27 bodies and many suitcases. He will eventually be sentenced to death two years later.


Thierry Paulin, aka "the old lady killer"

In 1984, Thierry Paulin, a 21-year-old notorious drug addict, moved to Paris with his 18-year-old lover, Jean-Thierry Mathurin. This marked the beginning of an intense period for the two young men, as within just over a month, from October 5 to November 12 of the same year, they brutally attacked and killed 8 elderly women, all living in the 18th arrondissement. After a break and a short trip to Toulouse, the two lovers eventually broke up, and Thierry Paulin returned to Paris. Clearly nostalgic for his time as a couple, he plunged into a new murderous frenzy, this time alone, killing and robbing eight more victims, still elderly and still in the northern part of the capital, between December 20, 1985, and June 14, 1986. He would be arrested for the first time in '86, released a few months later...

s tard, before killing two more victims, and being sentenced to 18 murders in '87, even though he confessed to 21. He passed away 2 years later from AIDS, while Jean-Thierry Mathurin, sentenced to life in 1991, will finally be released in 2012.