Nagui, historic presenter of the game “Everyone wants to take their place”, will no doubt squint his eyes several times when reading this information.
François Vérove, serial killer better known as “Grêlé”, who killed himself in 2021, participated in the France 2 game show in 2019, our colleagues from Marianne spotted.
VIDEO.
The “Hailed”, the serial killer who eluded the police for 35 years
This former gendarmerie officer committed suicide on September 29, 2021, in Gard, leaving behind a letter of confession in which he admits “to being a major criminal who committed unforgivable acts until the end of the 1990s ".
His DNA then matched that found at several crime scenes, confirming that he was indeed the “Pockmarked”.
Not found… without being hidden
For years, investigators from the Paris Criminal Brigade followed his trail.
The “Grêlé” was suspected of the murders of Cécile Bloch, 11 years old, stabbed and raped on May 5, 1986, or of Gilles Politi, 38 years old, and Irmgard Mueller, 20 years old, both killed on April 29, 1987. But the research did not gave nothing, although several witnesses and pieces of the investigation made it possible to put together a composite portrait and establish some of its physical characteristics.
François Vérove, aka le Grêlé, committed suicide on September 27, 2021. DR
Wanted, François Vérove was not discreet throughout his life.
In her book
Le Grêlé: The killer was a cop
(edition of Le Seuil), journalist Patricia Tourancheau reveals that her wife had assured investigators that her husband did not give the impression of wanting to hide, as our colleagues from Marianne recall .
To support her point, she even mentioned François Vérove's participation in the game “Everyone wants to take their place” on France 2. On the other hand, she was unable to give the precise date of her appearance on television, evoking filming in 2020 or 2021.
François Vérove on the set of “Everybody wants to take their place” in 2019. Screenshot Facebook/Everybody wants to take their place
It was finally in 2019 that one of France's most wanted serial killers found himself on the set of “Everyone wants to take their place”.
“We welcome (…) François (…) La Grande-Motte, retired police officer,” says the show’s voice-over with enthusiasm when presenting the different candidates.
The “Grêlé” then responds in complete relaxation to Nagui’s various questions, particularly on his past as a gendarme.
No one on the set suspects that one of the four candidates has several crimes under his belt.
Gifted at escaping investigators, François Vérove was less so in the game show since he was eliminated in the first round of the show with zero points.