Marcel Chevalier

Marcel Chevalier (28 February 1921, Montrouge, Hauts-de-Seine – 8 October 2008, Vendôme) worked as the last chief 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 executioner's 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:

• Jérôme 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 subsequent to his retirement. He was married to Marcelle Obrecht, the niece of penultimate chief executioner of France, André Obrecht. They had two children, one of whom, 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 was interviewed by the press on a number of occasions, but later, disillusioned by the sensationalist nature of press coverage, chose to say nothing of his experiences with the guillotine.

External link

• Biography (in French)

Government offices
Preceded by André Obrecht	Chief Executioner of the French Republic October 1, 1976 – October 9, 1981	Succeeded by Capital punishment abolished

Persondata
Name	Chevalier, Marcel
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 28, 1921
Place of birth
Date of death	October 8, 2008
Place of death