Channel 4's new three-part documentary, The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer, delves into the life of suspected serial killer Charles Sobhraj, whose name will be familiar to viewers thanks to the BBC's 2021 drama The Serpent, which dramatised his story, focusing on his relationship with accomplice Marie-Andrée Leclerc.
The series sees senior Metropolitan Police detectives Jackie Malton and Gary Copson re-examine the murders, interviewing key protagonists and witnesses, to challenge Sobhraj's claims that didn't commit the crimes. As viewers tune into the documentary, which begins on Tuesday at 9pm, they might be wondering what happened to Charles. Keep reading to find out where he is now…
When and how was Charles Sobhraj caught?
In the 1970s, Sobhraj preyed on Western tourists travelling on the hippie trail of India, Nepal and Thailand and admits to over 100 instances of drugging and theft. He's believed to have murdered at least 20 tourists in South and Southeast Asia, but the Channel 4 series focuses on five widely covered killings in Thailand in 1975.
In July 1976 in New Delhi, Sobhraj attempted to drug three young students from France on their backpacking trip. However, his plan did not go accordingly as one of the students fell unconscious earlier than he anticipated.
© Narendra Shrestha/EPA/ShutterstockThis led to the other students realising what had happened and contacting the police. Sobhraj was then arrested and charged for the murder of a previous victim and was sent to prison, awaiting further trial. He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison.
Sobhraj managed to get by in prison thanks to his bribery and conman tactics and he led a comfortable life. As the end of his 12-month sentence drew closer, Sobhraj threw a party to celebrate inside the prison in 1986. During the party, he drugged the prison guards and officers and then walked out of the prison. He was then reprimanded and sentenced to another ten years.
This meant in 1997, the 20-year-long warrants from Thailand were long gone and Sobhraj was once again released and extradited back to France.
© Austral Int/ShutterstockWhere is Charles Sobhraj now?
On his return to France, he led a comfortable life and reportedly attempted to grow a celebrity-like status and charged over $15 million for the rights to a movie based on him. However, he then returned to Asia to start a new business, but after authorities then re-opened a double murder case, he was reprimanded once more.
Sobhraj attempted to appeal his sentences, but any appeals he made were either rejected or postponed. In 2014, he was convicted of the murder of Canadian backpacker Laurent Carrière.
© Photo: Getty ImagesIn 2022, after several open-heart surgeries, Sobhraj was released from prison after 19 years on account of his old age.
After his release from prison in Nepal, Sobhraj was ordered to leave the country and was subsequently deported to France.
During filming for the Channel 4 show, Sobhraj, now 79, was reportedly spotted in London. Sobhraj was pictured walking among tourists on Westminster Bridge.
© ATISH PATEL/AFP via Getty ImagesWhere is his accomplice, Marie-Andrée Leclerc now?
Marie-Andrée Leclerc, from Quebec, worked as Charles' accomplice. She became his closest follower and turned a blind-eye to his crimes, even luring victims to get closer to the couple before crimes were committed against them.
The pair travelled around Thailand, Nepal and India on a crime spree before she and Charles were eventually upheld by authorities.
© Photo: BBCMarie-Andrée was imprisoned and accused of complicity in the murders of Jean-Luc Solomon and Avoni Jacob. She was acquitted of the crime towards Jean-Luc but was convicted of the murder of Avoni. After appealing the verdict, Marie-Andrée was released but was unable to leave the country.
She was allowed to return to Canada in the early eighties after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer. In 1984, she died at her hotel from cancer aged 38.
The Real Serpent: Investigating a Serial Killer begins on Tuesday 19 March on Channel 4 at 9pm.
