Hadj Mohammed Mesfewi: Morrocan Serial Killer

Hadj Mohammed Mesfewi: Morrocan Serial Killer

"Hadj Mohammed Mesfewi: Moroccan Serial Killer" is a memoir by Inspector Brahim El-Fassi, detailing his investigation into a serial killer in Marrakesh in 1906.

The narrative begins with El-Fassi reflecting on the case from 1920, looking back at the political instability of 1906, when Morocco was under increasing European control, culminating in the Algeciras Conference which further eroded the Sultans sovereignty. El-Fassi describes the tension in Marrakesh due to the Sultans brother, Mawlāy ʿAbd al-Ḥāfiẓ, gathering support for a rebellion against European influence.

Amidst this political turmoil, El-Fassi noticed a disturbing pattern of young women disappearing. Initially dismissed by his superior, Chief Inspector Moulay Hassan, El-Fassi conducted his own private investigation. He meticulously tracked seventeen disappearances over a year, all involving young, respectable women who had mentioned needing letters written and were last seen in the older, commercial quarters of the city, particularly the leather workers quarter.

The breakthrough came on April 24, 1906, when Lalla Fatima bint Ahmed reported her daughter Amina missing, having traced her last known whereabouts to the shop of Hadj Mohammed Mesfewi, a seemingly respectable shoemaker and letter writer. El-Fassi, who had known and patronized Mesfewi for years, was initially resistant to the idea that such a pious and respected craftsman could be involved.