Le Monstre S2- Episode 1: A Cold Dark Night

Summary

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Monster: BTK

Le Monstre Season 2, Episode 1: "A Cold Dark Night"

Air Date: November 3, 2025
Host: Matt Graves (Tenderfoot TV & iHeartPodcasts)

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Overview

The premiere episode of "Le Monstre" Season 2, subtitled "A Cold Dark Night," introduces listeners to the chilling unsolved case of Jacqueline Leclerc—one of several women who vanished in Mons, Belgium, in the mid-1990s. Host Matt Graves begins his investigation by reconstructing the events leading to Jacqueline's disappearance on December 22, 1996, revealing the silent terror and lingering mystery cast over the city by a serial killer popularly known as "Le Monstre" or "The Butcher of Mons." The episode deftly mixes personal recollections from Jacqueline's sister, insights from specialists and local investigators, and atmospheric on-location reporting to set the stage for a season-long deep dive into one of Europe’s most haunting cold cases.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Jacqueline Leclerc’s Last Day

• Family Gathering (01:57–03:15):
  • Georgette Leclerc describes the final afternoon she spends with her sister Jacqueline at their mother's house, recalling the mundane comfort of a pre-Christmas bath and lending Jacqueline a change of clothes.
  • Quote:
    “Actually it was a Sunday and my sister Jacqueline and I went to visit our mom’s place near Mons … I remember it was really cold and dark. Her street wasn’t well lit at all.”
    — Georgette Leclerc (03:15)
• The Drop-Off
  • Georgette insists on waiting until Jacqueline gets into her apartment for safety because of the poorly lit street. Their warm goodbye is the last confirmed sighting of Jacqueline.

2. Immediate Aftermath and Disappearance

• Unreturned Calls and Family Searches (09:01–09:31):
  • When Jacqueline fails to call back as promised the next day, Georgette’s anxiety mounts.
  • Instead of immediately going to police, Georgette takes it upon herself to search locally and contact family.
  • Quote:
    "It was from that moment, from that lack of contact the next day, that the nightmare began for me and for my mother."
    — Georgette Leclerc (09:01)
• Police Involvement
  • After days of fruitless searching, Jacqueline is finally entered into Belgium’s missing persons database. The initial police effort is cursory and unremarkable.

3. Personal History and Context

• Jacqueline's Troubled Background (14:44–17:37):
  • The narrative details Jacqueline's adolescence interrupted by her father’s suicide, subsequent early marriage to Angelo—a domineering and violent husband—and the psychological aftermath leading to psychiatric treatment.
  • Quote:
    “She loved her children very much, but she was overwhelmed by the events that marked her life. The situation quickly spiraled out of control and she and Angelo separated.”
    — Georgette Leclerc (17:13)
• Ongoing Tension with Ex-Husband
  • Angelo remains a person of suspicion in the family’s eyes, though never charged; he refuses to discuss the case.

4. Possible Warning Signs and Crime Scene Clues

• A Sense of Fear (14:27–14:44):
  • Jacqueline is described as "apprehensive" in the period before her disappearance, carrying a “big nail” in her coat pocket for self-defense.
  • Quote:
    “She grabbed [the nail] and said, ‘see, I have something to defend myself if someone comes after me.’”
    — Georgette Leclerc (14:27)
• Bank Card Mystery (18:23–22:53):
  • At 1 a.m. the night Jacqueline vanished, her bank card is twice unsuccessfully used at a local ATM, a dangerous and poorly surveilled spot. Host Matt Graves retraces her possible route, noting how unlikely it seems she’d venture out alone at that hour.
  • The ATM’s security camera was broken—another frustrating dead end for investigators.

5. Unexplained Evidence from the Apartment

• Odd Cigarette Butts (28:35–29:22):
  • During the police search, Georgette notes an unfamiliar brand of cigarettes and many butts—odd as Jacqueline didn’t smoke that type and rarely had guests.
  • New DNA testing could have provided leads, but it was not standard at the time.
  • Quote:
    “If Jacqueline had someone over that evening, they could have been the perpetrator's cigarettes.”
    — Georgette Leclerc (28:35)

6. Connection to Other Disappearances and the Mons Serial Killer

• Pattern Emerges (27:46–33:22):
  • Another woman disappears just months later outside Jacqueline’s favorite restaurant, mere meters from the train station and locations already discussed.
  • The subsequent discovery of dismembered remains in trash bags in and near Mons shocks the public and confirms suspicions of an active serial killer.
  • Quote:
    “There had never been a serial killer like this in Belgium, much less in Mons. And now we had the most grotesque story ever.”
    — Matt Graves (33:22)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote & Context | |---------------|---------------------| | 03:15 | “It was really cold and dark. Her street wasn’t well lit at all… I would stay in the car until she was safely inside… She waved at me and went inside.” — Georgette Leclerc, describing the final sighting of Jacqueline | | 09:01 | “From that lack of contact the next day, the nightmare began for me and for my mother.” — Georgette Leclerc, on realizing Jacqueline was missing | | 14:27 | “I have something to defend myself if someone comes after me.” — Georgette, quoting Jacqueline’s fear and the nail she carried | | 18:23 | “Georgette and many others, including some in law enforcement, suspected that Angelo could have been behind Jacqueline’s disappearance.” — Matt Graves, exploring suspicion around her ex-husband | | 22:25 | “It’s in a dark area, out of view. There was a surveillance camera… but it was out of order at the time.” — Morgan Van Leerberg, on the failed ATM transactions | | 28:35 | “A dark brand I didn’t recognize, placed near the window where she would smoke when the weather allowed. …I’m certain my sister didn’t smoke that brand.” — Georgette Leclerc, on suspicious cigarettes in the apartment | | 33:22 | “There had never been a serial killer like this in Belgium, much less in Mons. And now we had the most grotesque story ever.” — Matt Graves, on the escalation of events after Jacqueline’s disappearance |

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Important Timestamps

• 01:57–03:56 — Georgette Leclerc recounts last day with Jacqueline
• 09:01–09:52 — Family realizes Jacqueline is missing; starts personal search
• 14:17–14:44 — Discovery of Jacqueline’s escalating fear and self-defense habits
• 17:37–18:23 — Host and authors discuss suspicions around ex-husband Angelo
• 22:25–22:53 — On-location investigation at ATM; discussion of broken camera
• 28:35–29:22 — Suspicious evidence (unfamiliar cigarette butts)
• 27:46–33:01 — New disappearance, connection to wider serial killer case
• 33:01–33:22 — Public discovery of dismembered remains

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Episode Tone and Style

The episode is somber, immersive, and personal—blending haunting personal memories with detailed investigative process. Matt Graves’ narration is thoughtful, occasionally introspective, and respectful to victims and their families. Interviews and reenactments retain a sense of urgency and frustration over the case's unresolved status. The on-location sound design and atmospheric descriptions evoke the cold, damp, and desolate landscape of 1990s Mons, layering in a sense of foreboding and empathy.

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Summary & Closing Thoughts

“A Cold Dark Night” meticulously sets up the case for Season 2’s investigation. Interviewing those closest to Jacqueline Leclerc, visiting the crucial scenes, and sharing details both intimate and procedural, the episode highlights how the disappearance of one woman rippled into the revelation of a serial killer who preyed in secrecy. In the episode’s closing minutes, the focus widens—from Jacqueline’s vanished footsteps to the horror of subsequent victims and the unresolved trauma shadowing Mons and Belgium as a whole. With access to survivor testimony, firsthand investigation, and local expertise, host Matt Graves signals his intent to dig deep—and perhaps, finally, unearth long-buried answers.

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For listeners seeking a meticulous true crime inquiry with heart and historical context, “A Cold Dark Night” is a powerful start to "Le Monstre" Season 2—a story both chilling and profoundly human.

Transcript

[Narrator/Host (Monster Franchise Promo)]

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[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

The Butcher of Malls is released weekly absolutely free, but you can binge the entire season now with I Heart True Crime plus exclusively on Apple Podcasts. You'll also get ad free listening and exclusive bonus episodes, so head to Apple Podcasts, search I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe today. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the podcast author or individuals participating in the podcast and do not represent those of iHeartMedia, Tenderfoot TV or their employees. This podcast also contains subject matter which may not be suitable for everyone. Listener discretion is advised.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

I can remember it so clearly. Actually it was a Sunday and my sister Jacqueline and I went to visit our mom's place near Mons and that afternoon Jacqueline took a bath. I can still picture it and her saying it feels good to take a nice bath. So relaxing.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

December 22, 1996 will forever remain etched in the memory of Georgette Leclerc. That day she and her sister Jacqueline got together at their mother's house near the city of Mons in Belgium for a little pre Christmas get together.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

Jacqueline didn't bring a change of clothes so I lent her some that evening I suggested she should stay at my place, but she didn't want to. She really wanted me to take her home that night on the road back to her place. We agreed to speak the following day to plan something for Christmas as a family.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

The short trip back to Jacqueline's place in the center of mons took about 10 minutes. She lived in a small third floor apartment in a relatively quiet street for a busy city.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

So at around 8pm I dropped her off in front of her apartment. I remember it was really cold and dark. Her street wasn't well lit at all. So to reassure her and to reassure myself as well, I told her I would say stay in the car until she was safely inside. She didn't seem scared. She got out of the car and opened her front door and then she. She waved at me and then went inside.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

What Georgette didn't know then was if this would be the last time she would ever see her sister Jacqueline. One of several disappearances in 1996 and 97 in the Belgian city of malls that would become one of Europe's most horrifying cold cases linked to a mysterious and sadistic serial killer. Now the disappearance of a woman from Mont, Jacqueline Leclerc.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

The condition of the victims was sickening.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

And the question remains, where is the killer?

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

From Tenderfoot TV and I Heart podcasts, I'm your host, Matt Graves, and this is le Monstre Season 2 the Butcher of Mo. I've just arrived at the Central Station in Mons after an easy one hour train ride from Brussels, where I've lived since the summer of 95. It's been 30 years since I moved here from Austin, Texas, but I vividly remember living through this case as it began to unfold in 1996. It was terrifying, and to a certain extent, it still is, because decades later, the case has never been solved. I've traveled down to Mons today with Xavier Ducombe, a private investigator who's helped me on other cases. Xavier has an uncanny ability to find things in people and to approach hard questions from different angles. On this first trip, our goal is to get our heads around the case and immerse ourselves in how events actually unfolded from the ground level. Mons is a charming city in southern Belgium, just four miles from the northern border of France. You can see the remnants of the Middle Ages all around the densely packed center, just a stone's throw away from where Xavier and I are walking right now. We're here to meet with Morgan Van Leerberg, an author who studied Jacqueline Leclair's case extensively. After a short walk in the pouring rain, we meet at a cafe near the train station. Morgan is a fount of knowledge about this affair. You'll hear another voice in the background who would prefer to remain anonymous, given his previous role in this sensitive case. We brave the weather and make our way towards the last place Jacqueline was seen before she disappeared, on 22nd December 1996. So we're standing in front of Jacqueline's apartment. It's really quite a desolate area here actually, and there's not much happening. Her street's very quiet, very short, very small. And you can picture it at night on a winter evening being extremely dark and kind of almost scary. Morgan got to know and interview Jacqueline's sister Georgette, whose words you heard voiced in English at the beginning of the episode. So I asked him what she told him about that night she dropped off Jacqueline.

[Morgan Van Leerberg (Author and Investigator)]

She waited for Jacqueline to go inside and waited until she saw her turn the light on in the apartment. We are certain that Jacqueline went into her apartment at that moment, but when she was dropped off, she was wearing her sister's clothes because she didn't have any clean clothes after taking a bath at her sister's house. And Georgette told me that it could have been possible that since she was working all the next week and Christmas was coming, she could have gone to the laundromat right here next to her apartment that night to do laundry.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Jacqueline's sister never gave up looking for the truth. Sadly, she passed away in 2022 without ever finding answers. All of her testimony that you'll hear in this series is based on word for word translations of her statements and interviews, voiced in English already. Starting from the day after she dropped off Jacqueline in front of her small apartment where Morgan and I are standing right now, she knew something was wrong. Here are Georgette's words.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

On the next day, December 23rd, Jacqueline was supposed to call me or my mother, but she didn't. That's when we realized something was wrong. It was from that moment, from that lack of contact the next day, that the nightmare began for me and for my mother.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Jacqueline and her sister were planning to spend Christmas together in two days. Having heard nothing from her sister, Georgette began to worry.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

I didn't go to the police because, well, I thought they would make us wait like 10 days before starting a search. So I decided I'd search for my sister myself. I started with the family, checking with her ex husband and also around the area where she lived.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

After several days of desperate searching, her family finally went to the police and Jacqueline was added to the national database of missing persons. The initial investigation consisted of a cursory search of her apartment, interviews with family members and a records review. Eventually, her case made the local news. And now the disappearance of a woman from mont. Jacqueline Leclerc, 33 years old.

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[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

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According to her sister, Jacqueline was apprehensive about something in the time leading up to her disappearance. So much so that she felt the need to protect herself.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

One of the last time I saw her at Mom's house in early December, when I took her jacket from the coat rack, I felt something in one of her pockets. It was a big nail. She grabbed it and said, see, I have something to defend myself if someone comes after me.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

By all accounts, Jacqueline leclair was a kind and pleasant person. Why would this quiet mother of four feel the need to walk around with a big nail in her pocket for protection? Jacqueline was turning the page on a difficult time in her life. To fully understand her situation, we have to take a step back. Jacqueline and her older sister Georgette had a great relationship despite their seven years of separation growing up, Georgette always took care of her little sister and loved her dearly. They were raised in a middle class family unit with loving parents. Jacqueline always had a cool big sister who looked after her. In her early teenage years, however, tragedy before the family her father fell ill with thrombosis and could no longer work. He couldn't stand the thought of not providing for his family and sank into a deep depression. When Jacqueline was only 13, her father committed suicide. This drastically changed the course of her life. Their family unit was broken. Her Sister Georgette was 20 years old at the time. She'd already moved out of the family home and started her life as a young adult. But as a young teen, Jacqueline was lost. Such an awful tragedy during these crucial formative years changed the course of her life.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

When her father died, Jacqueline had to grow up quickly. She wanted to be independent. She married a guy named Angelo at a very young age. Mom wasn't in favor of the marriage at first. He seems Nice to me, but I changed my mind later. Angelo was dishonest and possessive of Jacqueline.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Jacqueline and Angelo had two children while Jacqueline was still a teenager, and then two more in her early 20s. Her life transitioned abruptly from a girl with loving parents to a young teenager with children and a dominating husband. Unsurprisingly, there was tension in the marriage.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

She loved her children very much, but she was overwhelmed by the events that marked her life. The situation quickly spiraled out of control and she and Angelo separated. When she disappeared, they were in the process of divorcing and it wasn't going well. Angelo was greedy and he wouldn't let her go. When things didn't go his way, he could become violent.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

I asked Morgan what he knows about the relationship between Jacqueline and her ex husband, Angelo. At the time.

[Morgan Van Leerberg (Author and Investigator)]

Jacqueline quickly fell in love with Angelo, who was very dominating. They had children and she became a housewife. According to sister, Angelo was violent with her. She was unhappy and living a dreadful life. She tried to leave him several times, but when he wanted to, he could always get her back. But at one point he found a new woman who was quite similar to Jacqueline, and so he left her and she found herself alone. And at that point she really lost her footing. She spent some time in psychiatric care because she was devastated. But at the time she disappeared, she was just starting to get her life back under control.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Georgette and many others, including some in law enforcement, suspected that Angelo could have been behind Jacqueline's disappearance. The difficult end to their rocky relationship had left its marks, and according to her sister, Jacqueline felt threatened by Angelo after the separation. He was never arrested or charged with any involvement, and to this day he refuses to talk about the case. So I don't really have much to go on now that both of her parents and only sibling have passed away. I have a short video of Jacqueline that was taken not long before her disappearance. She's looking into the camera and smiling shyly. She's very pretty with beautiful skin and delicate features. Her eyes are friendly but cautious. And she seems slightly uncomfortable to be filmed, but at the same time flattered to be the focus of the camera. Morgan showed me other pictures of Jacqueline that her sister shared with him. She's often dressed down with a tomboy look. Her sister explained that she tended to hide her beauty to avoid unwanted advances. As I look at these pictures in this video, I find myself asking, what did those kind eyes staring back at me see that no one's been able to figure out? As the investigation continued, police got access to Jacqueline's bank information. And they discovered a troubling detail. There had been two failed attempts to use her debit card at the ATM located near her apartment at approximately 1am the next morning. When her sister learned about this, it jogged her memory and she recalled that during the drive back to Jacqueline's apartment that night, she'd mentioned that she wanted to go check the state of her accounts at the atm. But her sister convinced her to wait until the next morning because it was already dark. And Jacqueline agreed and went directly into her apartment. On the one hand, it makes sense that Jacqueline could have visited the ATM as she mentioned it to her sister on the way home that night. On the other hand, it makes no sense at all that she would have forgotten her PIN code leading to the failed transactions. In fact, it would seem to indicate that her disappearance could be linked to some sort of robbery. We're back in the center of Mons with Morgan Van Leerberg in front of the apartment where Jacqueline was last seen. I want to understand the location of this ATM where we have the last potential sign of life from Jacqueline. So now we're going to time the walk from Jacqueline's house to her ATM machine where she might have gotten cash, but where her bank card was used apparently two times or refused two times that night. So we're going to do the timing. The walk from Jacqueline's apartment to the ATM in question cuts across several apartment blocks mixed with commercial buildings. It's kind of a rough neighborhood and I'm told that it was rougher than it is Today back in 1996. Especially at night, I try to imagine myself in Jacqueline's shoes making this trip at one o' clock in the morning on a cold and dark December night. Honestly speaking, I just don't see it. Her sister said she was tired that night. She'd already eaten and taken a bath and gotten back to her apartment. It was freezing cold and dark and it's a dangerous route. After about a six minute walk, we arrive at the spot where the ATM was located in 1996.

[Morgan Van Leerberg (Author and Investigator)]

Okay, we're arriving where the attempts to use her bank card happened at around 1 in the morning on 23rd December. The particularity is that it's not well situated. It's in a dark area, out of view. There was a surveillance camera on the ATM machine, but it was out of order at the time, unfortunately, as it could have helped answer a number of questions.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

It's incredibly frustrating that the surveillance camera of the ATM wasn't working that night. That footage would have given us concrete information about those transactions. Without it, we're left to speculate on if they played a part in her disappearance or not. The ATM no longer exists. As we stood there soaked to the bone in the freezing rain, me with my headphones and several other guys staring at a brick wall, we definitely got some funny looks from passersby. The street next to the ATM had a number of abandoned buildings that had been inhabited by squatters and probably drug dealers back in 96. Apparently, there was another serious crime involving this ATM where two men burglarized and murdered a person in their apartment nearby and use the victim's debit card to withdraw cash here. This underscores how dangerous this area was at the time. What's that sound? That's the sound of downy unstoppable scent beads going into your washing machine and giving your clothes freshness that lasts all day long. There it is again. It's like music to your ears. Or more like music to your nose. That freshness is irresistible. Let's get a downy unsteady unstoppables bottle shake. And now a sniff solo. Nice. With Downey Unstoppables, you just toss wash wow. For all day freshness.

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[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

White victim, female, pretty, wealthy, black defendant.

[Narrator/Host (Crying Wolf Podcast Promo)]

Chicago, a white woman's murder. A black man behind bars for a crime he didn't commit.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

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[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

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[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

They got the wrong guy.

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[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

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That is where the Big Take from Bloomberg Podcast comes in to connect the dots.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

How unusual is a deal like this?

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Unprecedented.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Every weekday afternoon we dive deep into one big global business story.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

The biggest story of the reaction of the oil market to the conflict in the Middle east is one of what has not happened.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Katie, you told me that ETFs are your favorite thing.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

They are.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Explain that. Why is that the case? And unpack what it means for you.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

Our breakfast foods, our consistent consumer staples, and so they sort of become outsized indicators of inflation.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Listen to the Big Take from Bloomberg News every weekday afternoon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

I live below A cult leader and I fear I've angered her.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Well, wait a minute, Sophia. How do you know she's a cult leader?

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

Well, Dakota, luckily it's I'm Not Afraid of a scary Story week on the OK Story Storytime podcast, so you'll find out soon. This person writes, my neighbor has been blasting music every day and doing dirt rituals and now my ceiling is collapsing. I tried to report them, but things keep getting weirder. I think they may be part of a cult.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Hold up, Sophia. A real life cult? And what is a dirt ritual?

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

No clue.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

But according to this person, contractors are tearing down the patio to find out what's going on with their ceiling and her neighbors are not happy.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Well, she needs to report them asap.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

She did, and now they've been confronting her in really creepy ways all the time.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

So do we find out if this person survives their neighborhood cult or not?

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

To hear the explosive finale, listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

As you heard at the top of the episode, this case is still unsolved. I wouldn't be traipsing around this rough neighborhood soaked to the bone in the freezing rain of late November if it wasn't important. I'm convinced the disappearance of Jacqueline leclerc holds the keys to the entire story, which will follow after the two failed attempts. At the 8th, around 1am on December 23rd, Jacqueline's timeline goes cold. She didn't show up for work on the following day. From the very beginning, Georgette became convinced that someone abducted her sister. She constantly retraced her steps. The night she dropped Jacqueline off, recalled conversations, and racked her brain to search for any details that might serve as clues.

[Georgette Leclerc (Jacqueline's Sister)]

During the police search of my sister's apartment, I was present as a witness There is one detail that disturbed me, not at the time, but later. I remember a pack of cigarettes, dark in color, from a brand I didn't recognize, placed near the window where she would smoke when the weather allowed it. I'm certain that my sister didn't smoke that brand. And I remember there were cigarettes, but in the ashtray, a lot of them. Jacqueline was in the habit of leaving them lying around in her apartment. She didn't like the smell of stale tobacco. If Jacqueline had someone over that evening, they could have been the perpetrator's cigarettes.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

At the time, the police were merely investigating the the disappearance of an adult woman, one of over 30,000 estimated missing persons in Belgium in the mid-90s. They didn't consider testing the cigarette butts left behind, even if they had. DNA testing in Belgium was still in its infancy at the time. Another missed opportunity. With the benefit of hindsight, the author Morgan Van Lerberg, followed up extensively with Jacqueline's sister about this pack of cigarettes. She was a hundred percent sure that they couldn't have been Jacqueline's. If not, then whose were they? Jacqueline was extremely private and didn't regularly have people over to her apartment. If we assume they belonged to the person responsible for her disappearance, it would mean that she must have known the perpetrator. In terms of possible suspects, this would tighten the profile considerably and lower the probability that this was a crime of opportunity. As the new year arrived and winter's icy grip began to thaw, Jean Jette refused to give up on her sister. She took matters into her own hands, creating missing persons posters and tirelessly plastering them throughout the neighborhood and in places where Jacqueline was known to frequent. One of these places was Jacqueline's favorite spot for a queen bite to eat. A small fast food restaurant near the central train station of Mons. The same station where Xavier and I arrived this morning after visiting Jacqueline's apartment and the ATM where her card was refused. We've now come full circle back to the central station. We're standing in front of a small fast food restaurant that Jacqueline was known to frequent. It's about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. I can imagine 30 years ago, Georgette canvassing this area, missing persons, posters in hand, desperate to find answers. It's quite possible that at that time she crossed paths with Jacqueline's abductor or his next victim. On March 16, 1997, just under three months after Jacqueline's disappearance, another young woman vanished. This time from right outside of this very same restaurant. She was standing on this sidewalk waiting for her friends who were inside ordering food to go. I wonder if she saw one of Jacqueline's faded missing persons posters plastered in the window. Moments before she too vanished without a trace. The fragile sense of safety in malls would forever be changed, replaced by a frenzy of panic and fear. There was a macabre and mysterious discovery of body parts apparently dismembered with a saw. According to investigators, partial remains of three women were found in trash bags in Quem, near Mons. It was really a crazy time in Belgium. I mean, stories were breaking every day.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

Good afternoon. In Havra, near Mons, two garbage bags containing human remains were discovered. The body parts are currently at the Forensics Institute in Liege for examination. The similarities with the three cadavers discovered in Quem 15 days ago are flagrant. Investigators believe it is the same perpetrator.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

There had never been a serial killer killer like this in Belgium, much less in Mons. And now we had the most grotesque story ever.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

We felt like we were in the presence of someone who was going to the grave with with nightmarish secrets.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Le Monstre is a production of Tenderfoot TV and iHeart podcasts hosted, written and executive produced by me. Matt Graves, Donald Albright and Payne Lindsay are executive producers on the behalf of Tenderfoot TV with producer makeup and vanity set. Matt Frederick and Trevor Young are executive producers on the behalf of iHeart podcasts. Original music by Jay Ragsdale, sound design and master by Cooper Skinner cover design by Byron McCoy and Trevor Iler. Le Monstre includes archival audio from Sonema RTBF archives. Special thanks to Oren Rosenbaum and the team at uta, the Nord Group and our active investigation team, Morgan Van Leerberg, Frederic Lohr, Xavier de Camp and Alain Cardon, as well as the teams at iHeart Podcasts and Tenderfoot TV. Find us on social media onsterpod. For more podcasts like Le Monstre, search Tenderfoot TV in your podcast app or visit Tenderfoot tv. Ready to keep listening? Remember, you can binge the rest of the season right now with an I Heart True Crime plus subscription available exclusively on Apple Podcasts Plus. You'll get exclusive bonus episodes and ad free listening. So head to Apple Podcasts, search I Heart True Crime plus and subscribe today.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

Every now and then I rinse it out and I need tummy rins tonight.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

And I need it more. My kid wears a bed and the smell never leaves I don't know what to do I'm always in the dark the sweat and the that sure smells like a dark car I'm downy rinsing.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

Tonight Downy Rinse fights stubborn odors in just one wash. When impossible odors get stuck in, rinse it out. Hello, America's sweetheart. Johnny Knoxville here. I want to tell you about my new true crime podcast, Crimeless Hillbilly Heist from Smartless Media, Campside Media and Big Money Players. It's a wild tale about a gang of high functioning nitwits who somehow pulled off America's third largest cash heist. Kind of like Robin Hood, except for the part where he steals from the rich and gives to the poor. I'm not that generous. It's a damn near inspiring true story for anyone out there who's ever shot for the moon, then just totally muffed up the landing. They stole $17 million and had not bought a ticket to help him escape.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

So we're sitting like, oh God, what do we do? What do we do?

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

That was dumb. People, do not follow my example. Listen to Crimeless Hillbilly Heist on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

I live below a cult leader and I fear I've angered her.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Wait a minute, Sophia. How do you know she's a cult leader?

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

Well, Dakota, luckily it's I'm not afraid of a scary story week on the okay Story Storytime podcast, so we'll find out soon. This person writes, my neighbor has been blasting music every day and doing dirt rituals, and now my ceiling is collapsing. I try to report them, but things keep getting weirder. I think they might be part of a cult.

[Podcast Advertiser/Promoter]

Hold up. A real life cult. And what is a dirt ritual?

[Co-host/Participant (OK Storytime Podcast)]

No clue, Dakota. Find out how it ends. Listen to the OK Storytime podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

Two rich young Americans move to the Costa Rican jungle to start over. But one of them will end up dead and the other tried for murder three times. It starts with a dream, a nature reserve and a spectacular new home. But little by little, they lose it.

[Narrator/Host (Le Monstre Podcast Host - Matt Graves)]

They actually lose it.

[Narrator/Reporter (News/Investigative segments)]

They sort of went nuts until one night, everything spins out of control. Listen to Hell in Heaven on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.