If, like us, you’ve deep dived into Netflix’s latest true crime offering, The Serpent, then you’ll surely know all about serial killer Charles Sobhraj, AKA the ‘Bikini Killer’, who is said to have killed dozens of backpackers in southeast Asia on the infamous ‘Hippie Trail’ in the 1970s.
And while the true story behind his life and crimes is now well-known, what some may not be aware of was that he didn’t act alone. Thanks to his long-term partner, Marie-Andrée Leclerc—sometimes “Monique” or just “Marie”—she helped him carry out his heinous and despicable acts.
But since we know Charles Sobhraj’s fate, fans have been left wondering about what happened to his partner in crime, and whether or not she was held accountable for her crimes.
Luckily, we’ve done the deep dive for you. Below, everything we know about what happened to Marie-Andrée Leclerc.
How Did Marie-Andrée And Charles Meet?
As for how the crime-peddling, star-crossed lovers met, according to The Express, Leclerc was a medical secretary from Quebec, Canada, who took her own journey on the Hippie Trail in the spring of 1975.
It was there that she met Sobhraj in Thailand in July 1975, where they supposedly fell head over heels for each other, and as we know, the rest is history.
What Part Did Marie-Andrée Leclerc Play In Charles Sobhraj’s Murders?
As we witnessed on-screen, Leclerc quickly became his accomplice for the multiple murders and illegal drug distribution, travelling together across Asia using the stolen passports of their victims.
However, Jenna Coleman—who portrays Leclerc on-screen—revealed in an interview that she was fascinated by how she may or may not have been brainwashed.
“I think the ‘is she a victim or is she not’, how much of her was brainwashed, how much of it was a choice to be there and a choice to live in the delusion,” she told Radio Times. “I think that’s what’s really interesting, to make the choices that she made in keeping this reality in a way that she could so that she could keep existing and being with Charles.”
But when push came to shove, the law saw her as guilty and she was arrested with Sobhraj in 1976 in India. She later denied taking any part in Sobhraj’s crimes, however, one victim claimed that Leclerc “had to know about it. Anyone with eyes and ears could see what was going on in this apartment,” as per The Sun.
Where Is Marie-Andrée Leclerc Now?
Just like Sobhraj, she was sentenced to life in prison but the verdict was later overturned following her diagnosis with terminal ovarian cancer and was granted permission to return to Canada in 1983, according to Associated Press. Not long after returning home, she died on April 20, 1984 at just 38-years-old.
You can check out season one of The Serpent on Netflix here.
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