Police look for Fourniret links in 45 unsolved murders

6 July 2004

BRUSSELS – Police in Belgium and France were on Tuesday continuing to investigate possible links between self-confessed child killer Michel Fourniret and up to forty-five unsolved murders.

On Monday French police confirmed that they had re-opened 30 cases of disappearances or murders since Fourniret, a French former carpenter who now lives in Belgium, confessed to killing nine people last week.

Belgian police for their part say they believe he may be linked to 15 unsolved killings or disappearances.

Dutch and Danish police also believe he may have been linked to crimes in their respective countries.

As the possible scale of Fourniret’s suspected crimes came to light police and prosecutors on both sides of the Belgian-French border continued on Tuesday to prepare the public for the fact that the 62 year-old could well emerge as one of mainland Europe’s most prolific serial killers.

When asked if he thought that Fourniret had committed more than the nine murders he has already confessed to, one un-named French police source told France’s AFP news agency, “that’s what a lot of people think.”

Those comments echo statements made on Sunday by Belgian Public Prosecutor Cedric Visart de Bocarme who said the number of Fourniret’s victims could, “stretch out dangerously.”

On Tuesday, French police finished digging in the grounds of two houses outside of Paris, following tip-offs from Fourniret.

Witnesses said officers left the scene with several large paper bags, although it was not immediately clear what they contained.

Meanwhile, Belgian Radio station Bel-RTL reported on Tuesday that Fourniret had confessed to throwing the body of another one of his victims, 17-year old French girl Isabelle Laville, into a disused well.

Reports citing investigators who have spoken to Fourniret say he has shown, “no emotion” while being questioned.

Police sources told AFP that he, “speaks very easily when he is presented with concrete issues, for example the fact that his wife denounced him.”

Fourniret admitted to the nine murders after his wife went to the police.

But he has volunteered no information about his suspected crimes, added the source.

Fourniret continued to insist on Tuesday that he did not murder an un-named au pair girl who worked for him and his wife.

The French man’s lawyer said this suggested he probably did not commit that particular crime as he had admitted to other murders.

Subject: Belgian news