European investigators have pieced together the violent trail of Levis, E., an illegal migrant from Cameroon accused of embarking on a deadly wave of terror last year in which he used the same modus operandi of ambushing strangers with concrete blocks.
The 27-year-old suspect is now believed to have carried out brutal assaults in at least seven different locations across France, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, Swiss news outlet 20 Minuten reported on Tuesday.
Many of his victims were seriously injured and required hospitalization, while at least one died from their injuries.
Dubbed by French media as Le Tueur au Parpaing (“The murderer with the cobblestone”), Levis E.’s spree of unprovoked violence first came to light following his arrest on Nov. 12, 2024, in Toulon, southern France. He had allegedly attacked a woman aboard a train, prompting French transport police to intervene. It was only after DNA samples were collected post-arrest that the scope of his offenses came to light.
Authorities now allege that Levis E. is behind a series of gruesome stone attacks targeting homeless individuals, passers-by, and a nurse. In every known case, the assailant used heavy concrete slabs or stones as a weapon, striking victims without warning — often while they were sleeping or completely unaware.
The earliest known case linked to Levis E. pertains to an attack in July last year in Dijon, France, where a nurse was struck on the head with a large concrete stone. Although the suspect was identified, he remained at large, despite having already received a formal deportation order to leave the country.
Further attacks followed as the perpetrator moved freely throughout Western Europe, including three incidents in October. On Oct. 8, a 30-year-old professional named Marco was nearly killed when a 10-kilo concrete slab was dropped on his head from a 6.5-meter height as he walked through Bern, Switzerland.
Two weeks later, on Oct. 23, a homeless man was hospitalized after having a concrete block dropped on his head while sleeping in the Parisian suburb of Évry, before another homeless man in Strasbourg was seriously injured in an almost identical attack there.
DNA on the weapons linked Levis. E to the first two attacks, while the third was caught on CCTV footage in which he was identified.
The rampage continued into November when an identical attack was launched against another man sleeping on the streets in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam on Nov. 5. Remix News reported on this attack extensively following the release of CCTV footage, which went viral on social media.
Days later, on Nov. 10, a 39-year-old Moldovan national was then murdered in Lyon using the same modus operandi — a concrete block had been used to bludgeon the man while he slept.
French authorities also suspect that a 2020 cold case in Colmar, where an 80-year-old homeless man was beaten to death with a stone, may also be connected to Levis E., based on newly matched forensic evidence.
In an interview with 20 Minuten, the victim in the Bern case spoke about the attack. “I was well-dressed, coming home from work,” Marco recalled. “And even if I wasn’t — even a homeless man should get help in that situation.”
“Suddenly I felt this immense blow to the skull, from then on it only roared in my head, really loud,” he said, “I didn’t hear or see anything for a few seconds.”
“After two steps, my legs became weak, and I had to crouch down against the wall. I became weaker and weaker, noticed how I was slowly fading away,” he added, saying the ordeal now plays back as a nightmare.
Doctors later told him that he had survived an attack that statistically should have killed him.
While being held in custody, Levis E. is said to have spoken of “seeing the devil and demons,” hinting at possible mental illness — though this remains unconfirmed.
Prosecutors in multiple jurisdictions, however, are moving forward with charges of attempted murder and murder, with trials expected to begin later this year.