Between January 1996 and July 1997, five women went missing in and around the city of Mons in Belgium. Their disappearances weren’t linked until gruesome discoveries were made across the city. Fifteen trash bags containing thirty-seven body parts were found at strategic dump sites seemingly designed to taunt authorities and spark fear in the public. These women fell victim to a sadistic serial killer. His identity remains unknown, but his name still sparks fear… The Butcher of Mons. In this new season of Le Monstre, Host Matt Graves and a team of investigators and journalists reinvestigate this terrifying case, unearthing new evidence, new witnesses, and new suspects.
Season 1 of Le Monstre covers The Dutroux Affair. Serial killer Marc Dutroux and his accomplices terrorized the country of Belgium. These unspeakable crimes and the incompetence or unwillingness of law enforcement agencies to stop them brought the entire country of Belgium to the brink of revolution.
The investigation leads to the doorstep of a compelling person of interest. Confronted face to face with the mountains of circumstantial evidence, he opens up during a revealing sit down interview with Matt and the team. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As the sprawling investigation reaches its peak, the killer strikes again. Another young woman is found brutally murdered and dismembered — the first killing since the original discoveries. In an unexpected turn of events, Belgian police are approached by the FBI, who suspect that the Butcher of Mons may have ties to the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
When a fourth murdered woman is identified, pressure on investigators reaches a breaking point. A victim’s boyfriend, nicknamed “The Gypsy,” is arrested, giving the public a fleeting sense of relief. But his swift release on weak evidence reignites fear across the city. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Host Matt Graves sits down with Dennis Cooper (Culpable) for a wide-open conversation about what it really took to bring this latest season to life. From unpacking the dangers of covering an active serial killer case to spotlighting Europe’s evolving perception of true crime podcasting, Matt and Dennis pull back the curtain, and share unreleased information in the hunt for the notorious “Butcher of Mons." Binge the entire season ad-free. Subscribe to Tenderfoot+ at tenderfootplus.com or on Apple...
Police realize that a previously unsolved murder was carried out by the same perpetrator. A third victim makes it official; a serial killer is on the loose in Mons. He's been murdering and dismembering women for over 6 months under the noses of authorities. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A week after the disappearance of Nathalie Godart, a mounted police officer stumbles upon a gruesome scene in a ditch near the center of Mons. Over the next two days, more horrific discoveries follow. The shocking finds send ripples of fear through the city, erupting into full-blown panic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Matt and the team make a breakthrough in case, nearly 30 years after it began. They identify two persons of interest previously unknown to the public. As new evidence comes to light, the investigation gains momentum, unfolding in real time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Less than 3 months after Jacqueline disappeared, another young woman, Natalie Godart, vanishes from a busy area near the Mons train station. At the time, the two disappearances aren't linked. Belgian authorities and the public are completely unaware that a pattern is forming, and beneath the surface, a predator is on the loose. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
December 22, 1996, Jacqueline Leclercq vanishes from her apartment in the city of Mons in Belgium. Despite suspicious circumstances, her disappearance garners little media attention. Jacqueline wasn't the first and would not be the last in a series of disappearances that would soon shock the country. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nearly 30 years ago, five women went missing in and around the city of Mons in Belgium. Their dismembered bodies would later be discovered, discarded in trash bags and strategically placed across the city. The identity of this sadistic serial killer remains unknown, but his name still sparks fear… The Butcher of Mons. From Tenderfoot TV and iHeartPodcasts, this is Le Monstre– Season 2. Coming October 31st. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Le Monstre returns with a new investigation. On January 21st 1996, in the North of France, the mutilated torso of a female body was discovered. Five women in total disappeared and were later found dismembered. The hunt for The Butcher of Mons begins October 31st. New evidence, new witness, new suspects. From Tenderfoot TV and and iHeart Podcasts, this is Le Monstre, season 2, The Butcher of Mons. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Executive Producers Matt Frederick and Trevor Young sit down for an exclusive behind-the-scenes conversation about the makings of the Monster series. Get the scoop from the beginning and find out how a one-off investigation into a serial killer in Atlanta became an award-winning global podcast franchise. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A potentially related case from 1993 brings the Dutroux Affair back into the spotlight, renewing interest in DNA testing. Host Matt Graves searches three countries in an attempt to track down an illusive character that may have information related to the larger conspiracy. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Much has happened in the aftermath of Belgium's trial of the century. 17 years have passed and questions surrounding the Dutroux Affair still remain. Host Matt Graves speaks with a woman who recently shared her experiences with a child sex trafficking ring in Belgium involving Michel Nihoul. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Belgian shame is on full display for the world to see. The incompetence and accusations of conspiracy play out in court as Dutroux and his accomplices stand trial. Surviving victims, victim's families, and new witnesses take the stand. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
The recent arrest of a Dutroux accomplice brings into question additional crimes as a new witness and potential victim comes forward. According to the courts and the majority of the media in Belgium, Marc Dutroux was an isolated predator who acted alone with the help of his wife and lackey accomplice, but these new details continue to divide the country. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.co...
As more details are made public, the level of incompetence by the Gendarmerie becomes incomprehensible, furthering the theory that Dutroux was part of a larger sex trafficking ring that involved powerful people actively conspiring to quash the investigation. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
A search is underway for An and Eefje as new evidence points to a possible location. Unsettling details emerge about the handling of the investigation and a possible cover up, prompting Belgian citizens to take to the streets in a massive protest known as La Marche Blanche or White March. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Arrested for his role in the kidnapping of Sabine Dardenne and Laëtitia Delhez, Marc Dutroux again cracks and admits to involvement in the kidnappings of Julie & Melissa. Carine Russo talks about the fourteen months of "scandalous silence" surrounding her daughter's disappearance. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Marc Dutroux was a child of the 60's. Not the flowery 60's of peace and love, but a much darker existence in the grimy working class region of Charleroi. His violent childhood was a cycle of abuse and perversion, creating a monster that would abduct young women and girls in the mid 80's, a foretelling of his crimes to come. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informat...
Letters from Sabine Dardenne provide a horrific account of her captivity. With 6 girls still missing, the prosecutor and police track down leads pointing to a main suspect, Marc Dutroux. He and his accomplices are detained and interrogated. The world is about to discover the horrors of Marc Dutroux. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
After 9 months with no answers, hysteria grips the country of Belgium as two more girls go missing during the Summer of 1996, 12-year-old Sabine Dardenne and 14-year-old Laëtitia Delhez. Now, six young girls have disappeared without a trace. A wiley prosecutor begins to mobilize efforts and make progress as police finally catch a break. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for pri...
Less than 2 months after the disappearance of Julie and Melissa, two more girls go missing after attending a magic show. 17-year-old An Marchal and 18-year-old Eefje Lambrecks were last seen in the coastal town of Ostend. Police again are slow to react. No connection is made between the disappearances. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
On June 24, 1995 two 8-year-old girls, Julie Lejeune and Melissa Russo, went missing in the province of Liege in Belgium. The police are slow to react. However, the parents quickly mobilize a search. At the time, no one knew that this was just the beginning of a series of events that would upend the country. For more info visit www.monster-podcast.com Archival audio for this series provided by Sonuma RTBF Archives and CNN Archives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
From the creators of Atlanta Monster and Monster: DC Sniper, this episode introduces "Le Monstre," a man described as a "perfect psychopath" who found pleasure in hurting others. It delves into his troubled past, hinting that while his childhood was difficult, it doesn't fully explain the depth of his cruelty. The podcast promises to explore how he became a figure known only as "Le Monstre."
25 years ago, Belgium was terrorized by a psychopath abducting children, including Julie le John and Melissa Russo. Known as The Dutroux Affair, these unspeakable crimes and the police's failings brought the nation to the brink of revolution. This podcast explores Mark Dutroux's horrific actions and the subsequent conspiracy that rattled Belgium's government and federal police institution.
