Death Instinct

Signed autograph letter "Your pirate" to his mistress Jeanne Schneider [Prison de la Santé, Paris], April 5 [19]76, 2 pp. In-8° Wet stamps from the penitentiary administration. A tender letter to his mistress regarding the writing of his book L'Instinct de mort and the Percé affair.

Today there is no mail. I was hoping to see my mother but that will be for Wednesday with Sabrina [the daughter of Jacques Mesrine]. I will have to arbitrate the generational conflict once again.

I am waiting to know exactly the position that the little one wants to take and how she behaved during her freedom vacation. I spent a good part of the day writing my book [L'Instinct de mort]. I have a quarter done, I think it will take me a year to write it in its entirety..

For now, you are still a charming unknown because I am only 28 years old. Do you know that I am not gentle with myself? But what difficulties I encounter in remembering exactly certain facts. I intend to make a special chapter for the Percé affair.

I will talk to you about it in our next visit because I am not yet at that unfortunate time for us. Daoust [Mesrine's lawyer, the greatest criminal lawyer of the time] let a beautiful financial opportunity pass by delaying to respond to me about a book exclusively based on this trial. I am sure that he would like to finance the publication now. But he can go screw himself. In any case, there is a lot of money to be made. Nanou of my heart, I conclude with tender kisses on your lovely person - I adore you my angel." Jacques Mesrine meets Jeanne Schneider after his divorce from Maria de Soledad.

Jeanne is a call-girl, whose pimps were killed by Mesrine, according to him. After several thefts committed in Europe, they flee to Quebec and continue their criminal activities. On June 30, 1969, in Percé (Canada), innkeeper Évelyne Le Bouthillier is found strangled to death at the motel Les Trois Sours. At the same time, police are searching for Jacques Mesrine, a French-born thug who will become public enemy number one, and his concubine Jeanne Schneider, for the botched kidnapping of the wealthy Georges Deslauriers.

Their fingerprints are found on items belonging to the victim. From then on, they will be charged with murder. Despite overwhelming circumstantial evidence, the jurors render a verdict of not guilty.

Other thefts will land them several years in prison in Quebec. Mesrine escapes from Saint-Vincent-de-Paul prison with five other inmates including Jean-Paul Mercier on August 21, 1972.