How would you feel if you were talking to ‘The Serpent’ and didn’t know about it until you’d read it in the news?
Well, people in the UK may have experienced this after Charles Sobhraj, a serial killer notorious for evading police and seducing his victims was spotted sightseeing and mingling with the public in London, as seen in a new series by Channel 4.
The 79-year-old was suspected of killing around 20 backpackers in Asia during the 1970s and 1980s for which he was locked up in Nepal for nearly two decades.
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Captured for the murders of two American and Canadian backpackers in 1975, these were just a couple of murders Sobhraj is said to have committed.
Previously, he spent 20 years in India for the poisoning of Luc Salomon in 1976.
Now? He has been snapped wandering around on Westminster Bridge wearing a disguise.
Sobhraj was born Hatchand Bhaonani Gurumukh Charles Sobhraj, and is a well-known French robber and killer, who committed numerous thefts and murders across Asia.
However, his ability to seduce women to do his bidding was astonishing.
At one point, he was constantly flanked by a loyal group of women who would assist in his petty crimes.
But it was in 2003, when he was given a life sentence in Nepal after being found guilty of the 1970s murder of Connie Bronzich.
So far, Sobhraj has been attributed to the killing of Teresa Knowlton, Vitali Hakim, Henk Bintanja and Cornelia Hemker, Laurent Carrière and Connie Bronzich, Avoni Jacob and Jean-Luc Solomon.
The new Channel 4 series has been following Sobhraj’s life after being released from prison where he even claimed that he was ‘like a shadow’ when evading arrest.
The three-part documentary series titled, The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer, includes chilling insights into the mind of a prolific murderer.
The French serial killer has even been confronted by coppers such as Jackie Malton, the former Met Police Detective Chief Inspector who told The Times: “There have been numerous documentaries about Charles Sobhraj but the victims have never really had a voice. This was the opportunity for him to be challenged with evidence that is compelling but has never been put to him before.
“I can see why the hippies were so attracted to him. He’s interesting, charming and highly educated. He speaks a number of languages and has superb manners.”
But it’s Sobhraj’s lack of regard for human life which is the most chilling aspect behind his ‘charming’ façade.
Let me tell you, even if he’s 79, I wouldn’t want to meet him in a dark alley.
Topics: Channel 4, Crime, True Crime, London, UK News, TV and Film
Britt Jones