'Ogre of the Ardennes' serial killer dies in French prison hospital Reuters | May 10, 2021 09:58 PM EDT Self-confessed French serial killer Michel Fourniret leaves Charleville-Mezieres courthouse (Photo : REUTERS/Yves Herman) Michel Fourniret, one of France's most notorious serial killers, has died in a hospital jail, the public prosecutor said on Monday. Fourniret, dubbed the "Ogre of the Ardennes" by French media, was convicted in 2008 of raping or attempting to rape seven women and girls aged between 12 and 22 and then killing them. His murderous spree lasted from 1987 to 2001. Advertisement Like Us on Facebook Fourniret, who was 79 and had been in jail for nearly two decades, had been in hospital since Saturday and had been placed in a coma due to heart and respiratory problems.