Fleeing French murderer shoots four dead

French police hunting a fugitive who shot dead four men, including two police officers, found his abandoned car near the south…

French police hunting a fugitive who shot dead four men, including two police officers, found his abandoned car near the south-western town of Beziers early today.

Albert Foulcher (50), an insurance agent convicted of murder in June, was last spotted yesterday evening on a motorway driving a grey Mercedes convertible belonging to his fourth victim - a former colleague who testified against him in his trial.

A major manhunt continued into a second day. Four hundred police officers set up road blocks along a 100 km stretch of motorway and used helicopters to survey surrounding countryside.

Fearing more revenge attacks the authorities provided bodyguards for two more people connected with Foulcher's murder trial - his defence lawyer and the former wife of the judge who convicted him.

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Foulcher's killing spree began last night when he shot dead Mr Pascal Herrero - another former colleague who gave evidence against him. He then shot dead two police officers as they arrived on the scene.

Fleeing in a stolen red Volkswagen, he drove 10 km north-east of Narbonne to kill Maurice Michaud and switch vehicles.

Later he forced his way through a roadblock and was sighted at various points on the A9 motorway between Montpellier and Nimes.

In 1993 Foulcher was placed under judicial investigation and jailed for the murder of the man from whom he had bought his insurance business. But three years later his trial had still not opened and he was granted conditional release.

But in 1998 he went missing and his trial last June took place in his absence. After his conviction police issued an international warrant for his arrest. AFP