David Lefèvre

David Patrick Roger Lefèvre (born 17 May 1980), known as The Swamp Killer (French: Le Tueur des Marais), is a French serial killer.

On 5 August 1999, Lefèvre committed an armed robbery with an accomplice. Three days later, he killed a homeless man during a second robbery. Sentenced to five years' imprisonment, he was released in November 2002. In 2003, Lefèvre was re-incarcerated for car theft and violation of the terms of his release. Released in 2004, Lefèvre was re-incarcerated again in 2005 for drug trafficking and vehicle theft. Sentenced to five years in prison, he was released in 2008.

In January and September 2011, Lefèvre killed two of his friends near the Avre marshes towpaths. After an initial investigation into an accident, the case turned into a criminal investigation following the discovery of the second victim's body. Arrested on 14 December, Lefèvre was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder and placed in pre-trial detention. On 15 November 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.

Biography

Early life David Lefèvre was born on 17 May 1980 in Reims (Marche). He was one of six children and grew up in a dysfunctional family environment, with unloving and incestuous parents who subjected him to physical and sexual abuse; he later described them as “social cases”.

Lefèvre's childhood was marked by absenteeism. Although he never saw his parents again, Lefèvre developed a persecuted and unhealthy personality, without noticing any difference from reality. In contrast, Lefèvre built a swing for his brothers and sisters to bring comfort to siblings who were also marked by neglect — one of his sisters would later testify to this. As a teenager, Lefèvre turned to crime. He and his accomplice bought a pellet gun with the intention of committing armed robberies.

Trial for robbery and death assault On 2 May 2002, the trial of Lefèvre and his accomplice began before the Douai Juvenile Court for armed robbery [for the first robbery] and robbery with violence resulting in manslaughter.

Release and murders in the Avre marshes Lefèvre was released in 2008 after three years in prison. He then moved to Amiens, where no one knew about his criminal record. He worked as a temporary warehouse worker and helped his neighbours when they needed it. Only a rehabilitation worker noticed his domineering and narcissistic personality.

On the night of 4 to 5 September, in Amiens, Alexandre Michaud, 24, violently struck the wall following an argument with his partner and injured his wrist. Having no means of transport, Nelly called Lefèvre. He took Michaud in his car to the hospital. When they left the hospital, Lefèvre took Michaud to the Camon marshes and killed him with two gunshots. He then dragged Michaud's body into the marshes, where it became entangled in a boat mooring chain. Lefèvre fled the scene and returned home. Nelly went to the police station on 6 September to report Michaud's disappearance. She recounted their argument the day before and said that he had disappeared after Lefèvre took him to hospital. The next day, the missing man's mother alerted the police. On 10 September, Michaud's body was discovered in the Camon marshes, his feet caught in a mooring rope. An investigation was then opened for murder. The police did not immediately make the connection with Guérin's death because the two victims were not found in the same place. They first took Nelly's former partner into custody because he had threatened to kill Michaud during his short stay in the Somme. He confirmed his death threats against Michaud, but claimed to have reconciled with his rival when he dropped his children off at his house a few hours before the tragedy. The suspect is therefore released. The police turn their attention to Lefèvre, who was the last person to see Michaud alive. They are surprised to discover that Lefèvre has already been questioned about Guérin's death and that he has previously killed a homeless person. When they reopen the Guérin case, the investigators discover that Lefèvre was the last person to have been with the two young men before their deaths.

Arrest and imprisonment for the Marsh Murders On 14 December 2011, Lefèvre was once again taken into custody. After lengthy questioning, Lefèvre denied the allegations and decided to stop answering the police officers' questions. Confronted with his inconsistencies regarding Michaud's death, he finally admitted to being responsible for his death, but claimed that he had killed him accidentally. According to him, Lefèvre took the victim to the scene to give him a weapon. Michaud then allegedly snatched it from his hands and fired it. Lefèvre said he killed Michaud so that he would no longer suffer. When questioned about his choice of location, Lefèvre made a mistake: he said he chose this place because it was where Guérin's body had been found. Following his confession, Lefèvre was taken to the Camon marshes to answer for the murder of Alexandre Michaud. Unaware that Julien's body had drifted away with the marsh current, Lefèvre noticed that Guérin had been discovered further away, thus unwittingly confessing his involvement in the first case. Because of this "accidental confession", Lefèvre was charged on 15 December with the murder of Michaud and the murder of Guérin, as a repeat offender, and then placed in pre-trial detention at Amiens Prison. He was thus nicknamed the "marsh killer" and the "swamp killer".

On 20 March 2012, Lefèvre wrote a letter to the prosecutor from his prison cell in which he admitted to killing Guerin and Michaud. He claimed to have struck Guerin in a fit of rage after Guerin refused to return his baseball bat. However, he denied any intention to kill Guerin, claiming he did not know that Guerin was drowning. Regarding the murder of Michaud, Lefèvre claimed that his fate was sealed from the moment he got into the car. He claimed that he could not stand the victim mocking him, to the point of committing the irreparable. At the end of the letter, Lefèvre expressed his apologies and remorse to the families of his victims. No one is convinced by his confession, given the trivial motive Lefèvre gives.

On 25 September, a reconstruction of the events took place at the Avre River, the scene of the murders. Lefèvre was taken from Amiens prison to corroborate his statements. The prosecution had to decide whether Guérin had really died accidentally. The victims' families were also present. When she saw Lefèvre, Michaud's mother was stunned to see such an ordinary-looking murderer. When the murder of Guérin is re-enacted, the frogman [tasked with mimicking the victim] struggles to reach the surface and has to be helped by the emergency services. Lefèvre could not have been unaware that Guérin was going to drown. The actions relating to Michaud's murder are consistent with Lefèvre's statements. At the end of the reconstruction, Lefèvre was returned to Amiens prison, without having changed his story about the motive for his crimes.

The 33-year-old defendant keeps a low profile and lowers his head, announcing his wish to remain silent. He remains motionless and silent, admitting that he would accept his sentence and that he does not deserve any support from his friends and family. Called to the stand, Lefèvre's friends paint a very positive picture of the accused. As in his first trial in 2002, Sylvie and Nathalie Lefèvre testify about their difficult childhood: violent, alcoholic parents, a mother who blamed each of her children for being born, and a father convicted of complicity in gang rape. One of them went even further, reporting that her only good memory was thanks to Lefèvre: he had built a swing for her brothers and sisters when they were young. As for Guérin's younger brother, he painted an inhuman portrait of Lefèvre and stated his desire to kill her if she ever got out of prison.

One of the lawyers for the civil parties paints a picture of a serial killer, emphasising that he appears to kill without motive. Most of the key figures in the case describe him as narcissistic and capable of exerting a toxic influence over others. They also claim that Lefèvre would have continued killing if he had not been arrested. It is also mentioned that Lefèvre refused to see psychiatrists while in pre-trial detention. These three elements do not work in the defendant's favour and do not inspire any leniency. The Court is therefore convinced that Guérin's murder was motivated by Lefèvre's hatred of drug addicts. It is also convinced that Michaud's murder was motivated by Lefèvre's narcissistic personality; considering himself superior to Michaud, Lefèvre could not accept that Nelly chose him as her partner instead.'

On 15 November, Lefèvre was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Michaud and the second-degree murder of Guérin, as a repeat offender. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.