Marcel Henri BARBEAULT

AKA "Shadow Killer"

Classification: Serial killer
Characteristics: Motive unknown
Number of victims: 8
Date of murders: 1969 / 1973 - 1976
Date of arrest: December 1976
Date of birth: August 10, 1941
Victims profile: Therese Adam, 49 / Suzanne Merienne, 44 / Annick Delisle, 29 / Eugene Stephan, 25 / Mauricette Van Hyfte, 23 / Josette Routier, 29 / Julia Goncalves, 29 / Francoise Jakubowska, 20
Method of murder: Shooting (.22 rifle)
Location: Nogent-sur-Oise, Picardy, France
Status: Sentenced to life in prison on June 10, 1981

Marcel Barbeault was an nice father of two and a good husband. He was an ex-boxer and a veteran from Algeria War (1954-1962). He was also a petty thief. From 1969 until 1976, this tall and strong man killed 8 young women in Nogent-sur-Oise, north France.

All were brown haired. He never admitted killing any of the girls. He was nicknamed the "Shadow Killer" because all the murders happened at night, in paddle or twilight.

January 10 1969, a woman was wounded by a gunshot, at home, but survived.

January 14 1969, a young woman was shot in her stomach, in the morning. She survived.

January 23 1969 a woman was knock down, then killed with a 5,5 caliber shot in her neck.

November 16 1969, a woman and her teenage daughter were attacked by a man wearing a mask. He trailed them outside, attached the mother and shot her. The girl succeeded in escaping. She just saw the man's eyes : "eyes like. those of a cat". And then. nothing.

Nothing until February 6 1973, when a woman was knock-down, shot dead and surely fondled. During night, May 28 to 29 1973, a young couple of lovers was shot dead with several bullets.

January 8 1974, a young woman was knock-down and shot dead with a 5,5 caliber in her home. The killer took off all her underwear.

November 25 1975, on the street, a young woman was knocked down, shot dead with a 22 long rifle, and then strip off.

January 6 1976, a young woman was knocked down, stabbed in the chest and then shot dead with a 22 long rifle. And the killer took her underwear again.

December 1976, Marcel Barbeault was finally arrested, he was denounced by an anonymous phone call. In his cellar, the police found the 22 long rifle which killed the last two victims, several bullets from the 5,5 rifle, a bludgeon and a dagger.

Barbault said he had found all the items in a cemetery, and that he was innocent, but since he was arrested, there's been no other murders. He's been charged with 5 of the murders (the evidences were not conclusive in the 3 other murders), and was condemned to life in prison.

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SEX: M RACE: W TYPE: T MOTIVE: PC-non-specific

MO: Random shooter of victims age 20-49, mostly female.

DISPOSITION: Life term, 1982; reduced to 20 years on appeal.