Who was Marie-Andree Leclerc? Charles Sobhraj's ex-girlfriend denied her involvement in brutal murders
Netflix’s upcoming series ‘The Serpent’ tells the story of serial killer Charles Sobhraj and the crime he committed during the 1970s. Sobhraj committed at least 12 murders in his lifetime and was convicted and jailed in India from 1976 to 1997, but managed to live a life of leisure even in prison.
However, Sobhraj was never alone when he committed those murders. He was always accompanied by his ex-girlfriend Marie-Andree Leclerc in all of his crimes and became his main accomplice, turning a blind eye to the murders and thefts he then committed.
But, who was Marie-Andree Leclerc and how did he meet Charles Sobhraj? We have everything you need to know about Sobhraj's right-hand-woman.
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Who was Marie-Andree Leclerc?
Born on October 26, 1945, in Saint-Charles-de-Bellechasse, Marie-Andree Leclerc was a medical secretary from Levis, Quebec. Leclerc was really fascinated by the hippie subculture while growing up and decided to embark on a hippie trail in the year 1975. Later that year, she took a trip to India and visited Kashmir. It was in Srinagar that she met Charles Sobhraj, with whom she quickly fell in love.
He was her tour guide around the country and impressed her with his dashing personality. At the end of the trip, he made her promise to come back to see him again. Their love story started to blossom as soon as she left India. Over the period of three months, he sent her several love letters and urged her to meet him in Bangkok. After waiting for almost three more months, she finally decided to see him and flew to Thailand to see him.
Sobhraj started to control her and made her his puppet. She would do everything and anything that would come out of Sobhraj’s mouth. Leclerc agrees to become his accomplice and helps him in doing all the dirty work.
Did Marie-Andree Leclerc help Sobhraj in the murders he committed?
A lot has been said about Lecler’s involvement in the murders committed by the serial killer. The reports suggested that Leclerc always accompanied him wherever he went and she knew everything about the killings. However, she denied taking part in any of Sobhraj’s crimes.
Although one of Sobhraj’s victims, Dominique Veylau, claimed that Leclerc gave him a potion that left him ill. Meanwhile, it was also reported that she used a dead woman’s passport to travel to Nepal.
What happened to Marie-Andree Leclerc?
Even after becoming prime suspects in more than 20 murders, Sobhraj and Leclerc continued to manipulate people with their cunning strategies. For many years she evaded capture by using fake passports. However, the couple was caught in India in 1976.
The duo was sentenced to prison for 12 years in 1980, but Leclerc appealed and was released on the condition that she could not leave India. Leclerc also wrote a book named ‘Je Reviens’ and claimed she was never in love with the serial killer. However, something even worse was waiting for her.
She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1983 and appealed to the court that she should be given permission to return to Canada. The Indian Supreme Court granted her permission and ruled that she could return to Canada.
Leclerc died on April 20, 1984, in her home country. She was 38.
Who plays Marie-Andree Leclerc in ‘The Serpent’?
Jenna Coleman will be seen playing the role of Marie-Andree Leclerc on the show. Coleman gained prominence after portraying the character of Clara Oswald on ‘Doctor Who’. She also played Queen Victoria in the 2016 series ‘Victoria’.
‘The Serpent’ arrives on Netflix on April 2.
