In 1973, Djandoubi tried to force his girlfriend, Élisabeth Bousquet, a 21-year-old woman he had met while in the hospital, to become a prostitute. She refused and reported him to the police.
Djandoubi was arrested and spent several months in prison. But in July 1974, he kidnapped Élisabeth and tortured her. He burned her with cigarettes on her chest and private areas while two other women, who were working as prostitutes for him, were forced to watch.
Élisabeth managed to escape but didn’t get far. Djandoubi caught up with her and strangled her to death. That same summer, he kidnapped another young woman, but she escaped and told the police everything.
After a few months, Djandoubi was arrested again. He was charged with torture and murder, found guilty, and sentenced to death. His execution was carried out on September 10, 1977, at 4:40 a.m. in the courtyard of the Marseille prison.