September 6, 1948 - Joël Matencio
Released from custody while still under suspicion in a murder case, Matencio went on to abduct and kill three people within two months, operating under invented group names to pursue ransom payments. The crimes set off a major regional manhunt and drew sustained press attention across Isère before his arrest came through an unexpected avenue — his voice recognized during a television broadcast. He was ultimately sentenced to life imprisonment for the three killings, while the original murder charge was later dismissed.
From Wikipedia
Joël Isidore Matencio (6 September 1948 – 24 January 2022) was a French serial killer and criminal.
Matencio was first implicated in the murder of a CEO, who was killed in July 1974 before being found four months later. He was charged along with two other men and briefly imprisoned between August 1974 and March 1975, before being released along with one of the three defendants.
During this release, Matencio kidnapped and murdered three other people in June and July 1976, under the name ‘Red Brigades’ and ‘Group 666’, with the aim of collecting a ransom. The case gave rise to a veritable ‘manhunt’ and caused a huge stir in the local press in Isère. Arrested on 20 October, after his voice was recognised on television, Matencio was charged with murder and imprisoned. After five years in custody, he was sentenced on 31 October 1981 to life imprisonment for the three murders and attempted frauds. The case against the CEO was dismissed in February 1985.
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