Bio

Remy Lecrenier was born in 1968 in Belgium. By 1997, Lecrenier was 29 years old. He was living with his girlfriend, Vinciane Tellier, and her family in Bas-Oha, Belgium. The home was shared by Vinciane, her mother Geneviève, and her two younger sisters, Vanessa and Laurence.

Vinciane’s father, Philippe Tellier, was in Spain at the time of the murders. He was preparing for a family vacation. Lecrenier had been staying in the Tellier family home for several months. Later reports said Philippe Tellier had concerns about him. Reports also said Lecrenier was not working, had other relationships, and already had a child from a previous partner.

Before the murders, Lecrenier’s relationship with Vinciane was falling apart. Vinciane reportedly wanted him to leave the house. He was expected to move out on July 7, 1997, the same day the killings happened. Lecrenier was described in case summaries as someone interested in weapons and martial arts. The weapons used in the murders included a firearm and a crossbow.

The case later became known as the “crossbow killer” case because Vinciane was found with a crossbow wound as well as gunshot wounds.

Murder Story

On July 7, 1997, Remy Lecrenier was at the Tellier family home in Bas-Oha, Belgium. His girlfriend, Vinciane Tellier, lived there with her mother, Geneviève, and her two younger sisters, Vanessa and Laurence. Vinciane’s father, Philippe, was in Spain preparing for a family vacation.

During the day, Philippe became worried because he could not reach his wife or daughters. When he called the house, Lecrenier answered and said no one was there. Philippe later asked a relative to check the home.

Geneviève Tellier was found dead in the garage. Emergency services were called, and the rest of the house was searched. The bodies of Vinciane, Vanessa, and Laurence were then found in locked bedrooms.

Vinciane was found in her bedroom. Reports said she had been shot and also struck with a crossbow bolt. Vanessa and Laurence were found in another bedroom. They had also been shot. Later reports said there was evidence of sexual assault, but older summaries differ on some details, so that part should be written carefully.

A message was found in the kitchen. It was signed “R” and said in French that he had become “completely crazy” because of the eldest daughter. This was understood as a reference to Vinciane and their failing relationship. After the murders, Lecrenier fled Belgium. Police searched for him across borders. Around four to five days later, he was arrested at a campsite near Saint-Tropez in southern France after Belgian tourists recognized him.

At trial, Lecrenier said he had argued with Vinciane because she wanted him to leave the house. He claimed he had a pistol because he planned to kill himself. He said the situation escalated after Laurence saw the gun and became frightened. He then shot her, shot Vanessa when she entered, and later killed Geneviève when she came home from work. Vinciane was also killed.

On November 29, 1999, Lecrenier appeared before the Liège Assize Court. He pleaded guilty to killing the four women. He gave little explanation, saying only that he had been thinking about the situation for a long time and then “saw red.”

On December 7, 1999, Lecrenier was sentenced to life in prison. In 2007, he asked for release, but the request was denied. On July 4, 2016, he left Andenne Prison after serving 19 years and was placed under electronic monitoring.