Marcel Chevalier

Executioner, Deceased Person

1921 – 2008

62

Who was Marcel Chevalier?

Marcel Chevalier worked as the last chief executioner 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 1 October 1976, he executed only two people. They were the last two executions in France:

Jérôme Carrein, condemned twice for the murder and rape of an 8-year-old girl, was guillotined on 23 June 1977 in Douai.

Hamida Djandoubi for having tortured and strangled his former girlfriend was guillotined on 10 September 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, Éric, 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.

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Born
Feb 28, 1921
Montrouge
Profession
Died
Oct 8, 2008
Vendôme

Submitted
on July 23, 2013

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