Michel Bellen (13 January 1946 – 10 June 2020), also called the Linkeroever Strangler (), was a Belgian murderer regarded as the first serial killer in Flanders."Wurger van Linkeroever" en "eerste seriemoordenaar van Vlaanderen" Michel Bellen (74) is overleden vrt.be, Helen Goedgebeur, 10 juni 2020De Wurger van Linkeroever is niet meer: hoe een onhandelbaar kind de eerste seriemoordenaar van ons land werd nieuwsblad.be, 10 juni 2020
In August 1964, he raped a woman after chasing her from the supermarket in Linkeroever. The woman was able to escape. After this first rape, Bellen would eventually commit three murders. The first murder happened in December 1964. After the rape of a 21-year-old nurse, he strangled her in an alley with a piece of barbed wire. A month later, in 1965, he raped and murdered a 37-year-old nurse. In 1966, he was sentenced to death by the Assize Court, albeit his sentence was later converted to life in prison. However, in 1982 he was released on parole. After four months, however, Bellen murdered a student in her flat room in Leuven. He was imprisoned again after his conviction in March 1984. From 1989 to 1994 he corresponded with artist Danny Devos, which resulted in a number of art projects and performances.Wurger van de Linkeroever – 1 ensembles.mhka.be, 1994Danny Devos ensembles.mhka.be
Bellen died of heart failure in a psychiatric institution in Bierbeek on the night of 10 June 2020 at the age of 74.Seriemoordenaar en verkrachter Michel Bellen, de Wurger van Linkeroever, is overleden, gva.be, 10 juni 2020
See also List of serial killers by country
References