Monster of Avignon – 72-year-old now also in crosshairs for murders

The victims of the cases, some of which date back decades, are women who worked for real estate agencies, the newspapers “Le Parisien” and “Midi Libre” reported. The perpetrator attacked his victims during apartment inspections or at the agencies.

The 72-year-old is under investigation for the rape and murder of a 23-year-old in Paris in 1991 and for the attempted rape of an 18-year-old in the Paris area in 1999. In both cases, the perpetrator is said to have used ether to sedate the victims. Although the pensioner is said to have admitted to the latest crime, being convicted on the basis of DNA evidence, he categorically denies the murder.

Analysis software looked for unsolved cases
A special unit of the French police also used analysis software to look for unsolved old cases for which the suspect could qualify based on the procedure. Four violent attacks on women and one murder of a woman between 1994 and 2004 are now under investigation, “Le Parisien” reported after reviewing investigative documents. In three of the cases, DNA traces have been secured, which can prove the suspect’s possible involvement in the crime.

Searched online for rapists of women
The 72-year-old has been on trial in Avignon, southern France, since early September for allegedly drugging his now estranged wife repeatedly over the course of almost a decade. He then allegedly allowed himself to be raped in his presence by strange men with whom he had previously made contact via an online platform. The fifty suspected perpetrators and the husband risk a prison sentence of twenty years for the abuse.