David Patrick Roger Lefèvre (born 17 May 1980), known as The Swamp Killer (French: Le Tueur des Marais), is a French serial killer.
On 5 August 1999, Lefèvre committed an armed robbery with an accomplice. Three days later, he killed a homeless man during a second robbery. Sentenced to five years' imprisonment, he was released in November 2002. In 2003, Lefèvre was re-incarcerated for car theft and violation of the terms of his release. Released in 2004, Lefèvre was re-incarcerated again in 2005 for drug trafficking and vehicle theft. Sentenced to five years in prison, he was released in 2008.
In January and September 2011, Lefèvre killed two of his friends near the Avre marshes towpaths. After an initial investigation into an accident, the case turned into a criminal investigation following the discovery of the second victim's body. Arrested on 14 December, Lefèvre was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree murder and placed in pre-trial detention. On 15 November 2013, he was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 22 years.
Biography
Early life David Lefèvre was born on 17 May 1980 in Reims (Marche). He was one of six children and grew up in a dysfunctional family environment, with unloving and incestuous parents who subjected him to physical and sexual abuse; he later described them as “social cases”.
In 1988, at the age of 8, Lefèvre was placed in foster care near Laon with his brothers and sisters after their father was arrested for gang rape. Lefèvre was a reserved child and evasive on certain subjects, particularly when his parents and his early years with them were mentioned.
Lefèvre's childhood was marked by absenteeism. Although he never saw his parents again, Lefèvre developed a persecuted and unhealthy personality, without noticing any difference from reality. In contrast, Lefèvre built a swing for his brothers and sisters to bring comfort to siblings who were also marked by neglect — one of his sisters would later testify to this. As a teenager, Lefèvre turned to crime. He and his accomplice bought a pellet gun with the intention of committing armed robberies.
Armed robberies and first death On 5 August 1999, Lefèvre, aged 19, and his accomplice, a minor, committed their first armed robbery in Laon. The robbery was successful and a small amount of money was stolen. By the time the police arrived on the scene, the two robbers had already left. No clues were found at the scene. Following their crime, Lefèvre and his accomplice planned to commit a long series of armed attacks, which could earn them more money.
On 8 August, Lefèvre and his accomplice attacked a homeless man and robbed him. Seeking to impress the victim, Lefèvre shot the homeless man in the head with his pistol. Overcome with emotion, he also shot his victim's rat and then crushed it with his foot. The two murderers then decided to steal the victim's minimum income allowance as loot before fleeing. Several passers-by near the scene of the crime were alerted by the sound of the gunshot and decided to go to the scene. They alerted the emergency services, but attempts to resuscitate the homeless man were unsuccessful. An investigation into armed robbery followed by death is opened. Investigators establish a link with the first robbery. Witnesses quickly came forward with information about the death of the homeless man. Witnesses at the scene claim to have seen two young men fleeing after the shots were fired. They estimate their age to be around 20. Another person claims to have recognised one of the perpetrators during the robbery that went wrong. With this testimony, the police are able to track down Lefèvre and his accomplice.
On 12 August, Lefèvre and his accomplice were arrested and taken into custody. A search was carried out at the suspects' respective homes, leading to the discovery of a pellet gun. Ballistic tests confirmed that this was the weapon used to kill the homeless man. Lefèvre and his accomplice admitted to the crimes and claimed that they had committed the robberies to get as much money as possible. However, they denied any intention to kill the homeless man, but admitted that they had intended to commit further robberies if they had not been arrested. The police quickly realised that their suspects were two young men who had lost their way in life. Lefèvre and his accomplice were charged on 14 August with armed robbery and armed robbery resulting in death, then placed in pre-trial detention at Laon Penitentiary.
At this stage of the investigation, police are attempting to determine whether the murder of the homeless man was intentional or even premeditated. An initial investigation concluded that it was intentional but not premeditated, as Lefèvre and his accomplice were unaware of the homeless man's presence before the crime was committed. However, Lefèvre and his accomplice's lawyers refute their clients' intent to kill and are requesting that the charges be reclassified as robbery with violence [for both robberies] and manslaughter [for the second robbery], so that they can be tried in a criminal court. They also point out that a pellet gun is not lethal and does not constitute intent to kill. The investigation partially complied with this request, reclassifying the offences as armed robbery [for the first robbery] and "robbery with violence resulting in manslaughter" [for the second]. For these offences, Lefèvre and his accomplice were referred to the Douai Juvenile Court, as the accomplice was a minor at the time of the offences.
Trial for robbery and death assault On 2 May 2002, the trial of Lefèvre and his accomplice began before the Douai Juvenile Court for armed robbery [for the first robbery] and robbery with violence resulting in manslaughter.
Now 22 years old, Lefèvre kept a low profile and kept his head down. However, he admitted to the facts, without confessing to any valid motive for the death of the homeless man: according to him, the victim was ‘in the wrong place at the wrong time.’ In response to this argument, the Court reminded him that he faced up to 20 years in prison at the end of his trial. On the stand, Lefèvre's sisters, Sylvie and Nathalie, testify about their childhood marked by violent, alcoholic and incestuous parents, as well as a father convicted of complicity in gang rape. Psychiatrists also confirm that his personality was shaped by a childhood marked by neglect. They point to a downward spiral consistent with the unhealthy environment in which he grew up, but curable. These testimonies made an impression on the court, which decided to grant Lefèvre mitigating circumstances.
On 3 May, Lefèvre was sentenced to five years' imprisonment, six months of which were suspended, with a three-year probation period.
Release and further imprisonment Lefèvre was released on 8 November 2002, after serving three years and three months in prison. Following his release, he returned to live with his foster family and was reunited with his brothers and sisters.
In 2003, while still on probation, Lefèvre was arrested after stealing a car. He was charged with vehicle theft and violating the terms of his release—his probation—and then placed in pre-trial detention. Lefèvre appeared before the Douai Criminal Court on 21 August for these offences and was sentenced to one year in prison. With his six-month suspended sentence added to his sentence, his conviction was increased to 18 months in prison.
When he was released from prison in 2004, Lefèvre decided to move out on his own. With no qualifications, he took on a few temporary jobs, but soon found himself short of money. He then decided to sell cannabis resin. Lefèvre did not use drugs himself and developed a hatred for this world, which he felt he had been forced into. He strongly disliked drug addicts, considering them to be "parasites" and "good-for-nothings".
In 2005, Lefèvre was arrested again by the police for illegal possession of cocaine during a roadside check. In addition to his illegal possession, the police noticed that the vehicle had been stolen. Lefèvre was charged with drug trafficking and repeat vehicle theft, then placed in pre-trial detention. In 2006, he appeared before the Péronne Criminal Court for his offences — repeat vehicle theft and drug trafficking — and was sentenced to five years' imprisonment.
Release and murders in the Avre marshes Lefèvre was released in 2008 after three years in prison. He then moved to Amiens, where no one knew about his criminal record. He worked as a temporary warehouse worker and helped his neighbours when they needed it. Only a rehabilitation worker noticed his domineering and narcissistic personality.
On the night of 13 to 14 January 2011, Lefèvre travelled to Belgium. He was supposed to take Julien Guérin, a 22-year-old friend, back to his home in Amiens. Guérin had consumed a large amount of vodka and was severely intoxicated. Lefèvre drove him to the Camon marshes and struck him on the head with a crowbar. Guérin fell into the Avre River and drowned. Lefèvre left the scene to return home and dispose of the crowbar. The next day, Guérin's family became concerned when they had not heard from him. The police were contacted but did not take the disappearance seriously. Lefèvre helped search for him, but the search was unsuccessful. In the evening, Lefèvre went to Alice's house, Guérin's partner, touched her left breast and offered to tell her what had happened in exchange for sex. Alice refuses and files a complaint against him for sexual assault the next day. Taken into custody, Lefèvre says he had an argument with Guérin and dropped him off in Amiens. He claims to have come to see Alice with the intention of seducing her, but also to provoke Guérin. He says he was convinced that Guérin would return. With no charges against Lefèvre, he was released. On 21 January, Alice decided to contact the press, who took her disappearance seriously. Guérin's body was found in the Avre River on 14 February by a lock keeper carrying out an inspection. An investigation was then opened with a view to conducting an autopsy to determine the cause of death. It was concluded that the death was accidental, after the young man had drunk a large amount of vodka. As for the fracture to his skull, the forensic scientist suggested that it was caused by a boat propeller during the drowning.