Eric Borel
Encyclopedia
Eric Borel was a French
student and spree killer
who, at the age of 16, murdered his family in Solliès-Pont
in the arrondissement of Toulon
on September 23, 1995, and afterwards walked several miles to the village of Cuers
where he continued his rampage the next day, shooting dead twelve other people and injuring four more, while pacing through the streets for half an hour. The shooting only ended when police arrived at the scene, whereupon Borel committed suicide.
, where he stayed until he was five. When his mother, who had visited Eric only occasionally up to that time, began to cohabit with Yves Bichet, she again took care of her son, much to his dislike, and took him to their home in Solliès-Pont
.
Borel's mother, an authoritarian and – at least outwardly – religious person and activist in the Secours catholique
, mistreated and beat him, who she believed to be a "child of sin
"; moreover he never developed a close relation to his mother's new companion, with whom he was said to have frequent rows and who reportedly also beat him on occasions, though Franck and Jean-Luc Bichet, Yves Bichet's sons, stated that their father has always been nice to Eric, even building him a shack for his chickens and other animals he took home. When Eric broke his arm at the age of eight, rather than to go home, he preferred to run away and hide, until he was found, shivering from pain. In this type of situation, Borel, who was known as a quiet and taciturn boy who kept to himself and rather tended the chickens in the backyard during his free time than to go out, grew up and developed an increasing admiration for the military, telling lies about heroic deeds of his father during the Indochina War
and adoring his stepbrother Franck Bichet, who served in the army. He had an affection to weapons and used to shoot sparrow
s with an air gun
.
, where he studied electromechanics and did quite well academically. He was said to be a disciplined and quiet student. However, in his last year at school there was a radical change in behaviour. He skipped classes without permission or explanation and became unaffable. He regularly said that he could not bear it anymore at home, that he had had enough of doing housework and being called names, and often stated his wish to join the military, like his father and grandfather. Apparently, the week prior to the shooting, he also told one of his classmates that he would commit suicide, but not before killing two or three people.
Borel had one friend, 17-year-old Alan Guillemette, a classmate who was rather outgoing and popular among his peers and with whom he would hang out after school.
Borel's stepfather had attended several meetings of the Front National in 1989, and many reports erroneously stated that his room was full of Nazi-insignia, spurring rumors that he sympathised with fascist ideologies. But besides a picture of Adolf Hitler
cut out from a newspaper, graffiti displaying a swastika
on his door, a few books on World War II
, as well as a documentary about David Koresh
and the Waco siege
, no evidence was found after his death that he was interested in any kind of politics. Also, a girl from Cuers spread the story that Eric had told her about his relationship with his half-sister Caroline, who was supposed to be his pregnant girlfriend. However, this sister in question did not exist, nor was it true that his father had died of cancer shortly before his rampage.
, when Borel killed his stepfather, Yves Bichet, in the kitchen by shooting him four times with a .22
-caliber
rifle
, before smashing his head with a hammer. Police assumed that they had a quarrel beforehand, when Borel tried to run away from home. Subsequently to killing Bichet, Borel assaulted his half-brother, 11-year-old Jean-Yves Bichet, who was watching TV, in a similar manner, by first shooting him with the rifle and afterwards bludgeon
ing his head with the hammer. After wiping up the blood trails, Borel waited for his mother to come home.
As soon as his mother, Marie-Jeanne Parenti, arrived at home from church at about 8:30 p.m., Borel immediately killed her with a single shot to the head. In contrast to her husband and son no blunt force was used on Mrs. Parenti, although some reports have suggested that he beat her as well with either the hammer or a baseball bat. When his mother lay dead, Borel once again started to clean the house from blood, covered the bodies with sheets and closed all shutters, as well as the steel gate. Carrying a bag packed with food, money, a raincoat, a map of Limoges, and a pistol shooting rubber bullets, which was erroneously identified as a .22-caliber pistol in some reports, and armed with his father's rifle and his pockets full of ammunition, Borel made his way towards Cuers, at first by car, but eventually he crashed it into a wall, where he continued his path by foot. Presumably he spent the night between vines
.
The bodies of the murdered family were found at approximately 1 a.m. by Yves Bichet's son Jean-Luc, a student living in Antibes
who only occasionally visited his father on weekends. After calling police Bichet was first considered a suspect in the murders when giving contradictory information. The absence of Eric Borel remained undetected until about three hours later.
and thus the sight of rifles outside not unexpected.
First he shot at Ginette Vialette through an open window, mortally wounding her, as well as Denise Otto, whom he killed, while she was bringing the trash out. He also hit Denise's husband, Jean, in the shoulder. Subsequently Borel injured an elderly woman who was walking in the streets with her husband and shot and wounded two brothers who were crossing his path. The shots he fired at Rodolphe Incorvala, once again through an open window, were eventually lethal. He later died in a hospital. Borel crossed the street to shoot and kill shopkeeper Mario Pagani, who was out buying a newspaper, with shots in the abdomen and head, as well as Moroccan
Mohammed Maarad in front of the "Café du Commerce". Marius Boudon and André Touret were killed while they were drawing money from an ATM
and Andrée Coletta while she was taking her poodle for a walk. Finally he shot Pascal Moustaki to death at Place Peyssoneau.
By 8:00 a.m., police arrived at the scene. Realizing that he was encircled Eric Borel committed suicide under a cypress tree in front of a school by shooting himself in the head. Observers of the rampage stated he had been poised and calm all the while, taking great care at aiming and shooting, hitting most of his victims in the head and returning when he did not hit properly the first time. In total, Borel had fired about 40 shots.
On October 23, 1995, Jeanne Laugiero, 68, died in hospital from injuries sustained in the shooting, raising the death toll to 14 victims. The last death in the killing spree was 68-year old Pierre Marigliano, who succumbed to his wounds on March 2, 1996, bringing the death toll to 15. Borel's shooting spree through the streets of Cuers was the deadliest act of mass murder in France since Christian Dornier
killed 14 people in Luxiol
on July 12, 1989.
Among the wounded were Jean Otto and Jean Boursereau.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
student and spree killer
Spree killer
A spree killer is someone who embarks on a murderous assault on two or more victims in a short time in multiple locations. The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics defines a spree killing as "killings at two or more locations with almost no time break between murders."-Definition:According to the...
who, at the age of 16, murdered his family in Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
in the arrondissement of Toulon
Arrondissement of Toulon
The arrondissement of Toulon is an arrondissement of France, located in the Var department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. It has 22 cantons and 34 communes.-Cantons:The cantons of the arrondissement of Toulon are:# Le Beausset# Collobrières...
on September 23, 1995, and afterwards walked several miles to the village of Cuers
Cuers
Cuers is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-External links:****...
where he continued his rampage the next day, shooting dead twelve other people and injuring four more, while pacing through the streets for half an hour. The shooting only ended when police arrived at the scene, whereupon Borel committed suicide.
Childhood
Eric Borel was the son of Marie-Jeanne Parenti and Jacques "Jacky" Borel, who were both working in the military at the time of his birth. However, their liaison was rather short, and after their paths departed, Eric was sent to Jacky's parents in LimogesLimoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
, where he stayed until he was five. When his mother, who had visited Eric only occasionally up to that time, began to cohabit with Yves Bichet, she again took care of her son, much to his dislike, and took him to their home in Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont
Solliès-Pont is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
.
Borel's mother, an authoritarian and – at least outwardly – religious person and activist in the Secours catholique
Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services is the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. bishops, the agency provides assistance to 130 million people in more than 90 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and...
, mistreated and beat him, who she believed to be a "child of sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
"; moreover he never developed a close relation to his mother's new companion, with whom he was said to have frequent rows and who reportedly also beat him on occasions, though Franck and Jean-Luc Bichet, Yves Bichet's sons, stated that their father has always been nice to Eric, even building him a shack for his chickens and other animals he took home. When Eric broke his arm at the age of eight, rather than to go home, he preferred to run away and hide, until he was found, shivering from pain. In this type of situation, Borel, who was known as a quiet and taciturn boy who kept to himself and rather tended the chickens in the backyard during his free time than to go out, grew up and developed an increasing admiration for the military, telling lies about heroic deeds of his father during the Indochina War
Indochina Wars
The Indochina Wars were a series of wars fought in Southeast Asia from 1947 until 1979, between nationalist Vietnamese against French, American, and Chinese forces. The term "Indochina" originally referred to French Indochina, which included the current states of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. In...
and adoring his stepbrother Franck Bichet, who served in the army. He had an affection to weapons and used to shoot sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s with an air gun
Air gun
An air gun is a rifle , pistol , or shotgun that fires projectiles by means of compressed air or other gas, in contrast to a firearm, which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. Air guns that only use plastic projectiles are classified as airsoft...
.
Later years and motive
Until his death, Eric Borel attended the lycée professionnel Georges-Cisson in ToulonToulon
Toulon is a town in southern France and a large military harbor on the Mediterranean coast, with a major French naval base. Located in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region, Toulon is the capital of the Var department in the former province of Provence....
, where he studied electromechanics and did quite well academically. He was said to be a disciplined and quiet student. However, in his last year at school there was a radical change in behaviour. He skipped classes without permission or explanation and became unaffable. He regularly said that he could not bear it anymore at home, that he had had enough of doing housework and being called names, and often stated his wish to join the military, like his father and grandfather. Apparently, the week prior to the shooting, he also told one of his classmates that he would commit suicide, but not before killing two or three people.
Borel had one friend, 17-year-old Alan Guillemette, a classmate who was rather outgoing and popular among his peers and with whom he would hang out after school.
Borel's stepfather had attended several meetings of the Front National in 1989, and many reports erroneously stated that his room was full of Nazi-insignia, spurring rumors that he sympathised with fascist ideologies. But besides a picture of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
cut out from a newspaper, graffiti displaying a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
on his door, a few books on World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, as well as a documentary about David Koresh
David Koresh
David Koresh , born Vernon Wayne Howell, was the leader of a Branch Davidian religious sect, believing himself to be its final prophet. Howell legally changed his name to David Koresh on May 15, 1990. A 1993 raid by the U.S...
and the Waco siege
Waco Siege
The Waco siege began on February 28, 1993, and ended violently 50 days later on April 19. The siege began when the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms attempted to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian ranch at Mount Carmel, a property located east-northeast of Waco,...
, no evidence was found after his death that he was interested in any kind of politics. Also, a girl from Cuers spread the story that Eric had told her about his relationship with his half-sister Caroline, who was supposed to be his pregnant girlfriend. However, this sister in question did not exist, nor was it true that his father had died of cancer shortly before his rampage.
Familicide
The series of attacks started on September 23, 1995 at about 6:00 p.m. CETCoordinated Universal Time
Coordinated Universal Time is the primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is one of several closely related successors to Greenwich Mean Time. Computer servers, online services and other entities that rely on having a universally accepted time use UTC for that purpose...
, when Borel killed his stepfather, Yves Bichet, in the kitchen by shooting him four times with a .22
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle rimfire cartridge is a long established variety of ammunition, and in terms of units sold is still by far the most common in the world today. The cartridge is often referred to simply as .22 LR and various rifles, pistols, revolvers, and even some smoothbore shotguns have...
-caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
, before smashing his head with a hammer. Police assumed that they had a quarrel beforehand, when Borel tried to run away from home. Subsequently to killing Bichet, Borel assaulted his half-brother, 11-year-old Jean-Yves Bichet, who was watching TV, in a similar manner, by first shooting him with the rifle and afterwards bludgeon
Bludgeon
Bludgeon may refer to:* Bludgeon , a fictional character* Bludgeon , a club-like weapon* Crabtree's Bludgeon, a foil to Occam's Razor...
ing his head with the hammer. After wiping up the blood trails, Borel waited for his mother to come home.
As soon as his mother, Marie-Jeanne Parenti, arrived at home from church at about 8:30 p.m., Borel immediately killed her with a single shot to the head. In contrast to her husband and son no blunt force was used on Mrs. Parenti, although some reports have suggested that he beat her as well with either the hammer or a baseball bat. When his mother lay dead, Borel once again started to clean the house from blood, covered the bodies with sheets and closed all shutters, as well as the steel gate. Carrying a bag packed with food, money, a raincoat, a map of Limoges, and a pistol shooting rubber bullets, which was erroneously identified as a .22-caliber pistol in some reports, and armed with his father's rifle and his pockets full of ammunition, Borel made his way towards Cuers, at first by car, but eventually he crashed it into a wall, where he continued his path by foot. Presumably he spent the night between vines
Vitis vinifera
Vitis vinifera is a species of Vitis, native to the Mediterranean region, central Europe, and southwestern Asia, from Morocco and Portugal north to southern Germany and east to northern Iran....
.
The bodies of the murdered family were found at approximately 1 a.m. by Yves Bichet's son Jean-Luc, a student living in Antibes
Antibes
Antibes is a resort town in the Alpes-Maritimes department in southeastern France.It lies on the Mediterranean in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. The town of Juan-les-Pins is within the commune of Antibes...
who only occasionally visited his father on weekends. After calling police Bichet was first considered a suspect in the murders when giving contradictory information. The absence of Eric Borel remained undetected until about three hours later.
Shooting spree
On the following day at 7:15 a.m., Borel arrived at the home of his friend Alan Guillemette and when Alan's mother opened the door Eric asked her to wake him. The two had a lengthy discussion in the garden, and apparently Eric wanted something from Alan, but when he declined and turned to go back into the house, Eric shot him in the back, mortally wounding him. From 7:30 a.m. onwards, Borel started shooting people at random. No one grew suspicious of his rifle until it was too late, as it was hunting seasonHunting season
A hunting season is the time when it is legal to hunt and kill a particular species.In the United States, each state has primary responsibility and authority over the hunting of wildlife that resides within state boundaries. State wildlife agencies that sell hunting licenses are the best source of...
and thus the sight of rifles outside not unexpected.
First he shot at Ginette Vialette through an open window, mortally wounding her, as well as Denise Otto, whom he killed, while she was bringing the trash out. He also hit Denise's husband, Jean, in the shoulder. Subsequently Borel injured an elderly woman who was walking in the streets with her husband and shot and wounded two brothers who were crossing his path. The shots he fired at Rodolphe Incorvala, once again through an open window, were eventually lethal. He later died in a hospital. Borel crossed the street to shoot and kill shopkeeper Mario Pagani, who was out buying a newspaper, with shots in the abdomen and head, as well as Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
Mohammed Maarad in front of the "Café du Commerce". Marius Boudon and André Touret were killed while they were drawing money from an ATM
Automated teller machine
An automated teller machine or automatic teller machine, also known as a Cashpoint , cash machine or sometimes a hole in the wall in British English, is a computerised telecommunications device that provides the clients of a financial institution with access to financial transactions in a public...
and Andrée Coletta while she was taking her poodle for a walk. Finally he shot Pascal Moustaki to death at Place Peyssoneau.
By 8:00 a.m., police arrived at the scene. Realizing that he was encircled Eric Borel committed suicide under a cypress tree in front of a school by shooting himself in the head. Observers of the rampage stated he had been poised and calm all the while, taking great care at aiming and shooting, hitting most of his victims in the head and returning when he did not hit properly the first time. In total, Borel had fired about 40 shots.
On October 23, 1995, Jeanne Laugiero, 68, died in hospital from injuries sustained in the shooting, raising the death toll to 14 victims. The last death in the killing spree was 68-year old Pierre Marigliano, who succumbed to his wounds on March 2, 1996, bringing the death toll to 15. Borel's shooting spree through the streets of Cuers was the deadliest act of mass murder in France since Christian Dornier
Christian Dornier
Christian Dornier was a French spree killer, who, for no apparent reason, shot to death his sister and mother and wounded his father with a shotgun on July 12, 1989, afterwards driving through the village of Luxiol and the adjacent area, shooting people at random...
killed 14 people in Luxiol
Luxiol
Luxiol is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:-External links:*...
on July 12, 1989.
Victims
|
|
|
Among the wounded were Jean Otto and Jean Boursereau.
External links
- La tuerie de Cuers: forclusion et criminalité, un lien possible?
- Dossier: La tuerie de Cuers 14 ans après, varmatin.com (September 24, 2009)
- Meurtres sans Paroles, Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
(October 6, 1995) (.doc-file) - A la recherche d’un mobile apparent, L'HumanitéL'HumanitéL'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
(September 27, 1995) - Tuerie de Cuers: le témoignage du maire, L'HumanitéL'HumanitéL'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
(September 28, 1995) - Cuers rend hommage à ses enfants assassinés, L'HumanitéL'HumanitéL'Humanité , formerly the daily newspaper linked to the French Communist Party , was founded in 1904 by Jean Jaurès, a leader of the French Section of the Workers' International...
(September 30, 1995) - Quatorze morts pour un secret, L'ExpressL'Express (France)L'Express is a French weekly news magazine. When founded in 1953 during the First Indochina War, it was modelled on the US magazine TIME.-History:...
(October 5, 1995) - Retour sur la tuerie de Cuers, Le Nouvel ObservateurLe Nouvel ObservateurLe Nouvel Observateur is a weekly French newsmagazine. Based in Paris, it is the most prominent French general information magazine in terms of audience and circulation ....
(October 5, 1995) - Massacre en deux actes dans le Var, LibérationLibérationLibération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
(September 25, 1995) - Tuerie de Cuers: mort d'une quinzième victime, LibérationLibérationLibération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
(October 25, 1995) - Cuers, la vie après les morts, LibérationLibérationLibération is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris by Jean-Paul Sartre and Serge July in 1973 in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. Originally a leftist newspaper, it has undergone a number of shifts during the 1980s and 1990s...
(March 9, 1996) - Ein Junge dreht durch, FocusFocus (German magazine)Focus is a German weekly news magazine published in Munich and distributed throughout Germany. It is the third-largest weekly news magazine in Germany. It is considered conservative and leaned towards economic liberalism.- Overview :...
(40/1995) - Eric, una giornata di follia, Corriere della SeraCorriere della SeraThe Corriere della Sera is an Italian daily newspaper, published in Milan.It is among the oldest and most reputable Italian newspapers. Its main rivals are Rome's La Repubblica and Turin's La Stampa.- History :...
(September 25, 1995) - La Tuerie de Cuers, Affaires Criminelles (YouTube-Video)
- Teenager turns gun on self after killing 12, Toledo Blade (September 25, 1995)
- French town deals with shock as another victim of teen dies, Toledo Blade (September 26, 1995)
- French pursue cause of teen's killing spree, Toledo Blade (September 27, 1995)
- French teen kills family, villagers, The Daily Courier (September 25, 1995)
- French in schock fromm teen's shooting spree, Ludington Daily News (September 25, 1995)
- Teen goes on shooting spree, Ocala Star-Banner (September 25, 1995)
- French youth kills 11 in rampage, Eugene Register-Guard (September 25, 1995)
- Teen goes on rampage, Rome News-TribuneRome News-TribuneRome News-Tribune is the local daily newspaper of Rome, Georgia. Begun originally as a weekly newspaper, the paper has survived several merges with other newspapers. Aside from several months during the Civil War, the paper has been published continuously since 1843. It is owned by the News...
(September 25, 1995) - 13th victim dies in French rampage, The News (September 26, 1995)
- Deranged French boy slaughters 12, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
(September 25, 1995) - French slayer of 13 a neo-nazi fanatic?, The Deseret News (September 25, 1995 )
- Death brings rampage toll to 13, Associated PressAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
(September 26, 1995)