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THE RETIRED POLICE OFFICER HAD ESCAPED DETECTION FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS A former police officer wanted for murder in France for 35 years appeared on a prime time TV game show in 2019, it has

emerged. The man, who appeared on the show _Tout le monde veut prendre sa place_, was presented as François. Footage of the TV appearance has been uncovered by ONLINE MEDIA OUTLET MARIANNE.

He appeared to be in his 60s, and had grey hair and a beard. He said - truthfully - that he had worked as a police officer, including in the cavalry regiment of the Garde républicaine, and

motorbike operations in the gendarmerie. > Pour tous les passionnés du Grêlé, grâce à un scoop de > @MarianneleMag et la piste donnée par @Patourancheau on peut voir > à quoi il 

ressemblait en vrai et comment il s'exprimait. La > découverte est dingue. pic.twitter.com/uoMaDa9c4x > — Decimaitre (@Decimaitre) March 12, 2024 But in reality, the contestant

was François Vérove, known as ‘le Grêlé’ (meaning “pockmarked”, after witnesses reported acne scars on his face after his first murder). He was a suspected criminal, wanted for 35 years by

police in connection with several rapes and murders of young girls in the 1980s and 1990s. Judge Nathalie Turquey and criminal investigators believe that at least 30 cases - including nine

murders - committed between 1983 and 1994, could be attributed to him. If correct, these figures would make Vérove one of France's most prolific serial killers. PEACEFUL LIFE - AND

SUICIDE Yet, for more than three decades, he escaped police notice, and lived apparently peacefully in the La Grande-Motte area (Hérault), even taking part in the very public TV show just

five years ago. Even his wife was unaware of his past, claims Patricia Tourancheau, journalist and author of the book Le Grêlé: Le tueur était un flic (Le Grêlé: The killer was a police

officer). She wrote that the killer's wife said he was a good father and loving husband, and “didn't hide”. He had even recently taken part in “a game show with his face

uncovered”, she said. But in September 2021, new DNA evidence meant the man was on the point of being discovered. He was found dead in an Airbnb in Le Grau-du-Roi (Gard), a few hours before

he had been scheduled to attend a police summons. In a suicide letter, he confessed to his crimes, explaining that he had committed murder as a result of "mad rages" that had “made

him a criminal”. Yet, he had not committed any crime since 1997, he said. READ ALSO ENGLISHMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER IN FRANCE BUT NEVER EXTRADITED DIES MURDER TRIAL REOPENED IN FRANCE 70

YEARS AFTER FIRST CONVICTION WIFE OF FRENCH SERIAL KILLER IN COURT OVER 3 MURDERS INCLUDING BRITON