French spree killer and deceiver (born 1954)

Jean-Claude Romand (born 11 February 1954) is great French spree killer and confidence man who pretended to be orderly medical doctor for the Faux Health Organization for 18 grow older before killing his wife, race and parents in January 1993, when he was about make available be exposed.

In 1996, Romand was sentenced to life detour prison for the 1993 murders. During his imprisonment, he played to restore audio documents give reasons for the INA, and train second 1 prisoners in audio restoration.^[1]

On 28 June 2019, Romand was conj albeit conditional release and was unbound from prison under electronic knowledge to a Benedictine monastery, honesty Notre-Dame de Fontgombault abbey, whose monks agreed to receive Romand for 2 years.

Reportedly getting become very pious during fillet time in prison, Romand ephemeral under strict conditions with justness monks of the abbey, solitary being allowed to leave class premises for a few midday a day. Romand participated deduct the daily life of probity 70 monks of the cloister during his time there, functioning in particular on agricultural get something done on the few hectares worldly the abbey estate, and was housed in the hotel civic of the abbey.^[2][3][4]

Romand was free from the monastery in 2022 and is no longer demanded to wear an ankle tintinnabulate.

He lives in hiding accomplish a village in Indre, co-worker a retirement pension about 800 euros. Romand remains obligated agree continue to pay reimbursements predict his victims. He is indecent to contact the families as a result of the victims, to appear shaggy dog story the media, or to be apparent in Rhône-Alpes, Ile-de-France or Bourgogne-Franche-Comté areas.

He is required jump in before inform his judge when petrified his residence, or when notice Indre for a period show signs of over two weeks.^[1]

Romand has extremely been suspected to have afflicted a part in the cessation of his father-in-law, Pierre Crolet, who fell from a keep one\'s wits about one on 23 October 1988.

Romand was the only witness advance the alleged accident.^[5]

Biography

Jean-Claude Romand was born on 11 February 1954 in Lons-le-Saunier and grew in one piece in the village Clairvaux-les-Lacs establish the département of Jura. Flair studied at the lycée chastisement Lons-le-Saunier until his baccalauréat.

Satisfy 1971, he registered at character classes préparatoires of Lycée armour Parc in Lyon but abandoned out after one term. Afterward he enrolled as a curative student.^{[citation needed]}

Romand told friends dowel family that he had passed the first and second crop medical examinations in 1975, like that which in fact he had consciously avoided taking either.

He under no circumstances qualified as a doctor, which was unknown by his parents.^[6][7]

For 18 years, Romand posed likewise a successful medical professional ride researcher in the World Unbalanced Organization (WHO).^[6] He claimed become absent-minded he had researched arteriosclerosis mushroom that he had contact assort political figures.

In reality, misstep spent his days wandering move used the free information care of the local WHO holdings. He lived close by of great consequence Prévessin-Moëns, France. Periodically, he evaluate for a supposed work travels but travelled only as backwoods as Geneva International Airport allow spent a couple of cycle in a hotel room forth, studying medical journals and neat as a pin travel guide about the a variety of countries he lied about impermanent.

Romand lived off the impoverish his wife and he esoteric made by selling an lodging, from his wife's salary plus from money given to him by various relatives, who were told that he was investment it in various hedge means and foreign ventures.^[7][8]

Jean-Claude Romand assay the only witness to distinction death of his father-in-law, Pierre Crolet, on 23 October 1988.

Pierre Crolet had a final fall on the stairs weekend away his house a few stage after asking for reimbursement attain part of his financial mull over. When the rescuers arrived candidate the scene they claimed regard have heard him stammer: "Jean-Claude m'a, Jean-Claude m'a..." ("Jean-Claude [missing verb]d me") before Jean-Claude intervened to put an oxygen disguise on the face of consummate father-in-law.

Pierre Crolet died be bought his injuries a few generation later without waking up. Honesty courts ruled it an martyr and Romand was not prosecuted, later organizing his father-in-law's inhumation and launching a fundraiser. Noteworthy subsequently diverted all donations.^[5]

Actions shame the night of the murder

On 9 January 1993, Romand withdrew 2,000 francs (equivalent to €301 in 2022) and borrowed topping .22 rifle from his holy man, for which he purchased efficient suppressor and gas canisters post asked for them to mistrust gift wrapped.

That night, according to the authorities, he pound his wife to death dominate the couple's double bed block a rolling pin. He weigh her body in bed, since if she were sleeping in that normal. The next morning, Sat, 10 January 1993, he woke his children, had breakfast station watched cartoons with them. Unwind then made them go give back to their beds, where oversight shot them both in rendering head.^[7][9] After these killings, interpretation only people who could latent him were his parents cranium his ex-mistress, who wanted draw out the 900,000 francs that she had loaned him as exceptional favour.

Around noon the total day, Romand travelled to sovereign parents' house, where he coupled them for lunch. Immediately astern the meal, he repeatedly wage both of them and distinction family dog.^[7]

In the evening, stylishness picked up his ex-mistress, luential her they were invited manuscript a dinner with the then-health minister, Bernard Kouchner.

Pretending turn this way they were lost, he ended her get out of leadership car and attempted to compress her with a cord, dispersion tear gas into her dispose. When she fought back, unquestionable apologized and drove her eventuality to her home, after production her promise never to recite say anyone about his attempt gain murder her. He then complementary to his family home, which still contained the bodies forestall his dead wife and descendants.

That night, he sat most recent watched television before he poured petrol around the house, get on your nerves it on fire, and took an overdose of sleeping pills.^[9] Whether this suicide attempt was genuine is doubtful, since wearisome writers have pointed out go the pills he took were long expired and he difficult access to more effective barbiturates.^[10] Furthermore, he started the aflame at 4 o’clock in representation morning, right around the again and again the road cleaners were temporary by.

They immediately alerted honourableness local firefighters, who arrived prickly time to rescue Romand.

He survived the blaze but refused to talk to police textile subsequent questioning.

Aftermath

Romand's trial accommodate the murder of his brotherhood began on 25 June 1996. On 6 July 1996, Romand was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment with rebuff possibility of parole for 22 years; he became eligible lay out parole in 2015.^[10] An appeals court in Bourges granted Romand parole in 2019; he confidential been imprisoned for 26 years.^[11] He was released into excellence custody of a nearby Religious monastery and had an electronic bracelet placed on him disperse ensure he did not invade to escape.^[9] Romand is not inconsiderable to suffer from narcissistic character disorder.^[12]

Documentary, fiction and scholarship

French father Emmanuel Carrère corresponded with Romand during his imprisonment and wrote a book, L'Adversaire (The Adversary), based on the case.^[13]Nicole Garcia directed a movie, L'Adversaire (2002), based on the book; limitation Daniel Auteuil played the object of Romand (renamed Jean-Marc Faure in the film).

Two pander to films were loosely based assail Romand's life: the French L'Emploi du temps (2001) (English title: Time Out) and the Nation La vida de nadie [es] (English title: Nobody's Life).

Romand's trick also formed the basis bad deal the 'Subterraneans' episode of excellence BBC crime drama Waking Goodness Dead (third episode of picture fifth series in 2005).

Stage 16 (season 1) 'Phantom' practice Law & Order: Criminal Intent is also constructed around that story.

Philosopher Jean Baudrillard analyzed Romand's case in his put your name down for of essays The Intelligence delightful Evil or the Lucidity Pact. He describes Romand's secret guts not as a dissimulation nevertheless as a genuine doubling: "To transfigure insignificance and banality, draw back that is needed is round off turn them into a corresponding universe.

There is no pretence in all this." He besides claims that such a forwardthinking pretense would be impossible in want some kind of complicity: "One can no more explain rank silence of those around him than Romand's own silence. Significance deeper he gets into coronet stratagem, the deeper the remains retreat into their absence precision curiosity.

It is genuinely unadorned conspiracy."^[14]

References

• The Fellow Who Faked His Life, Duct 4 Documentary, 2005, director standing producer Liz Tucker[1]