Marcel Chevalier
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Marcel Chevalier (born 28 February 1921) worked as the last executioner (Monsieur de Paris) in France. He succeeded André Obrecht in 1976 and held his position until 1981, when capital punishment was abolished under president François Mitterrand and justice minister Robert Badinter. The method of application of the death penalty for civil capital offences in France 1791-1981 was beheading with the guillotine. Military executions were by firing squad.
Chevalier, who started his executioners' career in 1958, performed about 40 executions. After his appointment as chief executioner, on October 1, 1976, he only executed two people. They were the last two executions in France:
- Jerôme Carrein, condemned twice for the murder and rape of a 7 year-old girl, was guillotined on June 23, 1977, in Douai.
- Hamida Djandoubi for having tortured and strangled his former girlfriend was guillotined on September 10, 1977 in Marseilles.
Chevalier worked as a printer prior to his retirement. He is married to Marcelle Obrecht, the niece of penultimate chief executioner of France André Obrecht. They have two children, one of which, Eric, was present at Carrein's and Djandoubi's executions in order to prepare him for succession to chief executioner upon his father's eventual retirement.
Marcel Chevalier has been interviewed by the press on a number of occasions, but now, disillusioned by the sensationalist nature of press coverage, chooses to say nothing of his experiences with the guillotine.
