Denis Waxin

Denis Georges Waxin (born 26 June 1968) is a French serial killer and serial rapist who attacked at least six children in Lille and its suburbs from 1985 to 1999, killing three girls, raping two boys and another girl.

He was convicted for his proven crimes and sentenced to life imprisonment with 29 years of preventative detention.

Denis Georges Waxin was born on 26 June 1968, in Loos, Nord, but spent his childhood in Wattignies.

His parents had a strained relationship, as his mother Marie-Jeanne spent most of her time working, while his strict father never spoke to him and preferred to spend his time gambling.

As he was given no affection from most of his other four siblings, with the sole exception of his older brother Dominique, Waxin grew up lonely and isolated from others around him.

In 1985, Waxin became depressed when Dominique, now an adult, left the family home.

In an attempt to take his mind off his troubles, he began to take walks by himself every day for hours on end.

On the late afternoon of 22 November 1985, 7-year-old Nathalie Hoareau was sent to buy cigarettes and bread for her mother from the local store, but on the way, she was approached by Waxin, who offered to show her his shack.

After Hoareau followed him to a vacant lot, Waxin raped the girl and attempted to strangle her with the candy necklace she wore around her neck, before ultimately stabbing her twice in the heart.

Later that night, the concerned mother notified the police about the disappearance, which led them to discover the little girl's body in a bush.

She had been left completely naked, with a pack of cigarettes and a shopping list with a written message to her mother beside the body.

Traces of semen were also located on the body, but since most of it was washed away by the rain, authorities were unable to establish a genetic profile.

In July 1986, Waxin obtained a diploma in carpentry and was stationed in Germany as part of his military service in 1989.

While on leave, he began a short-lived relationship with an older woman, which lasted until the end of service in August 1990.

Shortly afterwards, he fell into depression again.

On 8 October 1990, 9-year-old Cathy Monchaux was playing in the garden of the family home in Wazemmes when her father called to go inside.

Before she could do that, however, Waxin approached her and offered to buy her candy.

Monchaux agreed and followed him to an abandoned soccer field, where she was raped and stabbed fourteen times after a failed escape attempt.

When she failed to return home, her parents and older sister went out to look for her, and after an hour of searching, they called the police.

On the following day, Monchaux's naked body was found by a man walking his dog.

Shortly after this crime, Waxin fell in love with another woman, whom he subsequently married and went to live with in an apartment in Moulins.

Neither of them wanted children, and Waxin called his wife "Mom".

He was described as helpful, charming and a good husband, and eventually managed to find a job at an Auchan service station in Villeneuve-d'Ascq.

While regarded as punctual and conscientious, Waxin was also considered unpredictable - on one occasion, he emptied the magazine of an alarm pistol while aiming it at a thief.

He would eventually be fired for threatening to set fire to the station because his boss had reprimanded him.

On the late afternoon of 23 July 1992, 4-year-old Nadjia Thebib was playing with other children in front of a dilapidated building where her grandmother, Meriem, lived, since her parents had recently separated.

Suddenly, Waxin approached, picked her up and headed towards Ronchin, but as Thebib made no sound, people simply assumed that he was her uncle.

Eventually, Thebib's aunt Anissa attempted to chase after him, but stumbled and lost sight of the abductor.

Together with other family members, they went around the neighbourhood and searched for the girl before eventually contacting the police.

The aunt provided a description of the kidnapper's clothes, saying that he wore a red T-shirt, sneakers and white sweatpants with red stripes, from which a facial composite was made.

In the meantime, Waxin raped Thebib before stabbing her in the neck and suffocating her with a plastic bag.

About a week later, three boys playing on the outskirts of the city found her body under a tarp between some shrubbery, with her clothes folded under her.

The coroner established that Thebib had been killed mere hours after her abduction, additionally finding semen traces that allowed authorities to establish a DNA profile of the killer.

Due to his apparent familiarity with the deserted areas, investigators concluded that the killer likely lived in Lille or the suburbs, as he was able to quickly move around without being seen.

On 4 August 1997, Waxin was arrested for attempting to steal cutlery from a store with his wife.

As per police procedure, he was photographed and a sample of his DNA was taken, but it is unclear if he served time for this offence.

On 6 January 1997, a 6-year-old girl named Wendy was collecting old coins with her sister and older brother in front of their house.

After a while, they decided to separate so they could collect more efficiently, and Wendy was left alone to ask strangers if they had any coins.

After some time, she asked Waxin, who was randomly passing by, and while he said that he had none, he claimed to have more at his house.

While the investigations were going on, Waxin raped two young boys in Moulins and Lambersart from November to December 1999.