French police scour land formerly owned by serial killer

French police are scouring land that used to belong to a serial killer dubbed the ‘Beast of the Ardennes’ in a bid to find the remains of a nine-year-old girl. 

Michel Fourniret is currently serving life in prison for the murder of seven girls and young women. 

On Monday, officers were seen searching his former estate in Floing, near Sedan in northern France in a bid to find the body of Estelle Mouzin.

The youngster disappeared on the way home from school in Guermantes in 2003.

The search could last until Wednesday, L’Union reports. 

French police are scouring land that used to belong to Michel Fourniret (right) dubbed the ‘Beast of the Ardennes’ in a bid to find the remains of Estelle Mouzin (left)

French police stand near an excavator digging during searches on serial killer Michel Fourniret’s estate in Floing, near Sedan, northern France, on Monday

Fourniret has admitted his involvement in the disappearance of the girl. 

Investigators searched the abandoned land – which he owned between 1964 and 1999 – several times in 2007, but the hunt was abandoned due to lack of evidence. 

Fourniret was the considered a suspect in the girl’s disappearance and was arrested in relation to it in Belgium in 2003. 

But he was discounted by police because they figured he had an alibi as a phone call had been made from his home at the time the girl vanished. 

Gendarmes brings a sonar as part of searches on serial killer Michel Fourniret’s estate

An excavator is seen digging during searches on serial killer Michel Fourniret’s estate in Floing

In February, the convicted serial killer reportedly also confessed to killing a British woman in France 27 years ago. 

Joanna Parrish, 21, from Gloucester, was raped and murdered in Auxerre in 1990, while working as an English teacher during her gap year. 

Fourniret had for a long time been the prime suspect in the brutal attack on the student.  

Ms Parrish’s family lawyer said in February that the killer had finally admitted to her murder.

The French serial killer Fourniret, currently serving life in prison for the murder of seven girls and young women, owned this estate between 1964 and 1999

Lawyer Didier Seban told the BBC that over the past week Fourniret had appeared in court ‘two to three times’ and admitted the killing on each occasion. 

Ms Parrish’s father, Roger Parrish, told the broadcaster the confession had come as a ‘shock’ and that he hoped it was not another ‘false lead’.

In May 2008, Fourniret was sentenced to life in prison for the joint rape and murder of seven girls.