François Vérove, known as “le Grêlé”, could have killed another man in 1990 in the woods of Saint-Aubin (Essonne). His case was reopened by the Nanterre serial or unsolved crimes unit.
The French rapist and serial killer, François Vérove, back in the spotlight? The one who is nicknamed “the Pockmarked”, for the slightly irregular grain of his face could be at the origin of an unsolved murder. Indeed, according to information from BFMTVthe Nanterre “cold cases” unit decided to reopen its case with a supplementary indictment dated November 18, for a murder committed in 1990 in the woods of Saint-Aubin (Essonne). A man was found tied to a tree with a bullet in his head, but the perpetrator was never unmasked.
As a reminder, François Vérove killed himself in September 2021, when justice was about to identify him as the author of several murders. His action leaves behind potential confessions and explanations concerning around twenty crimes which remain without a definitive answer.
A ball, a knot of rope and a tricolor card
Several elements of this file guided the investigators and the investigating judge in charge of the case,Nathalie Turquey, towards the profile of “Grêlé”. First, a 9mm PA MAC 50 bullet was found at the crime scene. A weapon used by the gendarmes, a position held by François Vérove between 1983 and 1988. The latter was a trooper in the Republican Guard before joining the national police. Concerning the victim of this murder committed in 1990, it was a man, an industrial designer named Gibert G. His checkbook was used several times around Paris the next day, for example to buy a VCR.
Second, the rope knot used to immobilize the victim. At the material time, the equipment seller mentioned a buyer – potentially François Vérove – who had presented him with a tricolor gendarmerie or police card. A process used by “le Grêlé” before taking action, in connection with his profession, which constitutes the third key element of this investigation for the murder committed in 1990, and in which he is now suspected.
François Vérove had also “bought his motorcycle from an individual in Seine-et-Marne with a stolen check”, as BFMTV recalls. For the moment, it is impossible to say whether this check belonged to the famous Gilbert G. The investigators now have the mission of having these checks analyzed using graphological expertise to see if the writing corresponds to that of “Grêlé” .