France Arrests Suspect in Gay Serial Killer Case
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A 68-year-old man has been arrested in France on suspicion of killing 18 people, most of them gay, a prosecutor said today.
Nicolas Panard is suspected of killing 11 people in the eastern Alsace region, four in a neighbouring region and three in the Paris area, the public prosecutor in the eastern town of Montbeliard said.
The murders took place between 1980 and 2002.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Panard, who is gay, was arrested in the eastern city of Mulhouse.
His suspected accomplice Slim Fezzani, 43, who is serving a 20-year sentence prison for murder, has also been brought in for questioning, public prosecutor Jean-Martin Jaegle said.
“For the moment there has been no admission of guilt and there is no proof that they are guilty,” Jaegle said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The victims all suffered a heavy blow to the head and multiple stab wounds, and were often partially dressed.