[6], The 6-episode 2021 French mini-series Une affaire franaise (aka A French Case) dramatized the case, casting a harsh light on career-minded judicial investigators and a scapegoating, fact-free media. Grgory's mother, Christine, was just inside the house ironing some clothes. Weeks earlier new criminal analysis software called Anacrim had showed "chronological inconsistencies" in various testimonies. I can show you the tape. Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin were ultimately awarded the equivalent of $39,000. We've detected you are on Internet Explorer. Only irrefutable scientific proof can be used to accuse whoever, said Grard Welzer, the former lawyer for Laroche. Police subsequently question Marcel and Jaqueline Jacob, Gregory's great aunt and uncle as well as Murielle Bolle but they are freed over procedural issues. This tragedy marked the beginning of a long investigation and one of the most famous cold cases in France. More importantly, he seemed genuinely displeased at the way he was treated by the Villemin family. Legendary novelist Marguerite Duras publishes a notorious essay "Sublime Christine V" in which she imagines the mother as the murderer. There's my revenge.". L'ADN est encore loin d'tre d'actualit au moment de l'affaire Grgory. Appel reu par Jean-Marie Villemin le 23/03/1983 (cliquer sur play gauche pour entendre l'appel)
He knew about the grandfather who hanged himself and the son who had begun putting on airs since his promotion to factory foreman. [5] During the 2017 investigation, Monique was named by investigators as the author of a 1990 threatening letter sent to Judge Maurice Simon, who had succeeded Jean-Michel Lambert as investigating judge on the case in 1987. Thus, the child would have to be unconscious before going into the river. However, she was released from pre-trial detention after refusing to eat for 11 days. Every single word we said at home, he knew.. He covered the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of apartheid as well as the ill-fated U.S. military mission in Somalia, among other major stories. The 35-year-old defendant, who wears wire-rimmed glasses, conservative suits and a stoic expression, sits behind them in a bulletproof glass box. The police clamped down immediately, and it was not long before Murielle admitted that Laroche had picked her up from school that day. Gregory was playing outside the house that October day in 1984, around sunset, when he was abducted. Your money won't bring your son back. A day infamous for being the one on which the lifeless body of Grgory Villemin, then a four-year-old boy, was found in the Vologne river at Docelles. Police think they have cracked the case when, after initially backing Laroche, Bolle changes her story and says she witnessed the kidnapping. Two weeks later Judge Jean-Michel Lambert charges Jean-Marie's cousin Bernard Laroche based on a handwriting sample. He was near us, that is certain, said Albert Villemin, patriarch of the clan, an extended family of factory workers scattered among the deceptively quiet villages of the Vosges Mountains. Vingt ans aprs les faits, les parents . One must be human in this affair, Marie-Ange said during a break in the proceedings. Grgory Villemin's body was found with his hands and feet bound in the Vologne river in the north-east of France on 16 October 1984. She delivered a promising testimony against the suspect Laroche. A-t-il t ligot avant ou aprs sa mort ? It should be important to note here that the investigation branched out to consider the possibility that Gregory Villemin was killed in his own home before being dumped in the river. Grgory's grandfather, Albert Villemin, died at the age of 92 on the weekend of February 18, according to information from France Bleu. The series was released in May 2017, and has been . Cette constatation a t faite sur les prlvements effectus sur les cinq lobes des poumons. The unsolved murder of a little boy in France has haunted everyone for 35 years. Three held in French child murder mystery His murder became a. She tells police Laroche collected her from school before picking up a "little boy she had never seen before" and dropping him off at another location. For the best Barrons.com experience, please update to a modern browser. French media reveals in December 2020 that a Swiss firm's analysis of the threatening letters points to a single suspect without saying who. But experts disagreed about whether Gregory had drowned in the river or in tap water; the water in his lungs contained none of the microscopic organisms one would expect to find in river water. The death of little Grgory Villemin continues to fuel rumors. Dijon prosecutor Thierry Pocquet du Haut-Juss said (viaThe Guardian), "New interviews have taken place in the last few weeks. [8] At 9:00 pm, Grgory's body was found in the Vologne with his hands and feet bound with rope and a woolen hat pulled down over his face. Police found strands of rope, similar to that used on Gregory, in the Villemin attic, though many believe that the police planted them in their determination to find a culprit in the highly publicized case. He, too, was a factory foreman and had a wife and a child. Jean-Marie Villemin will kill his cousin a few days later before confessing his crime to his wife, then to the police. However, Lamberts biggest slip-up would have to be revealing Murielles name to the press, as the one who had provided the testimony against Laroche. Or, lanalyse des poumons de Grgory Villemin effectue par le professeur Duprez nous rvle quil ny a aucun corps tranger ni dans les bronchioles ni dans les alvoles. It was the courts way of saying that though he had committed a crime, they acknowledged where he came from. His body was found four kilometers (2.5 miles) away in the River Vologne near Docelles. WESTERN CENTRAL LONDON In a letter sent to his local newspaper he wrote that he no longer had the energy to fight. At first, the judge assigned to the case, Jean-Michel Lambert, believed that it would be a straightforward affair. The Crow knew the Villemin family intimately. Gregory was lively, tender, Jean-Marie said, pausing periodically to sob before collecting himself. She was placed. Across from them is Laroches widow, Marie-Ange, and her four lawyers. The murder of the four-year-old Gregory Villemin in October 1984 is one such example. Scott Kraft is editor at large for enterprise journalism and special projects at the Los Angeles Times, where he oversees the Investigations department, standards and practices, polling and survey research projects, and newsroom-wide reporting initiatives. In 2017, authorities arrested three people in connection with Grgory's murder. Mired in sorrow over the death of his child, and fed daily by rumors delivered by reporters, Jean-Marie decided that Laroches lawyers, the police and the prosecutor were conspiring to cover up Laroches guilt. Grgory Villemin, four, was found tied up and drowned in the Vologne River in eastern France. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. When the police brought in Laroche, they suspected him of having written the letters, but what got them hotter on his trail were the contradictory statements made by him and Murielle Bolle, his sister-in-law. Il s'agit de l'une des affaires les plus tristement clbres concernant la Police Technique et Scientifique la fin du XXe sicle. The nurse also admitted to having an affair with the brother of a Paris-Match photographer and, later, one of the investigating gendarmes.). His terrorizing letters to the Villemins continued right up until Grgory's death in 1984 - the last letters even took responsibility for . On October 16, 1984, the child, then only 4 years old, was found dead in Vologne, a river in the Vosges. He was the child king. What . Invalid memorial. Almost unbelievably, after 33 years, it appears she has decided to end her silence. The Evening Standard reports the boy's knit hat was covering his face, and his hands and feet had been bound. We are here to answer your doubts, but first, let us walk you through how Gregory Villemin actually died. Police subsequently question Marcel and Jaqueline Jacob, Gregory's great aunt and uncle as well as Murielle Bolle but they are freed over procedural issues. Marcel and Jacqueline Jacob had been indicted with Murielle Bolle in June 2017 for "kidnapping and kidnapping followed by death". Selon eux, les donnes mdico-lgales montrent que lenfant a pu tre ligot aprs sa mort ou tre anesthsi avant dtre ligot et noy : avant dtre plong dans leau, lenfant a pu tre momentanment anesthsi ou rendu inconscient par inhalation dther ou chloroforme, soit provoquant la mort soit en supprimant les ractions rflexes lorsquil a t plong dans leau ( ) lventualit dune noyade pralable dans une baignoire ou du maintien forc de la tte de lenfant dans de leau ventuellement contenue dans un rcipient est possible. On his gravestone, his family wrote: Here rests Bernard Laroche, innocent victim of a blind hatred.. French media reveals in December 2020 that a Swiss firm's analysis of the threatening letters points to a single suspect without saying who. A fifth handwriting expert isnt sure. 431. The following day, the victim's father receives another letter: "I hope you die of sorrow, boss. He knew how they shunned a relative born out of wedlock. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Villemin, then 25 and six months pregnant with her second child, spends several days in prison. Gregory's parents, Jean-Marie and Christine. Grgory Villemin (24 August 1980 - 16 October 1984) was a French boy from Lpanges-sur-Vologne, Vosges, who was abducted from his home and murdered at the age of four. [16] This testing too proved inconclusive. Without being aware of it, Daniel Dupont and his co-creators helped at least one American understand how the internet indoctrinated people to support Etienne Sesmat but revile Jacques Corazzi simply for having points of view--a professional point of view as an investigator. I wanted to have him., Laroche, 29, was fatally shot in front of his wife and father-in-law on his front lawn in March, 1985, five months after Gregorys death. For more information go to. New interviews have taken place in the last few weeks. The body was found at 9 p.m. in the Vologne River, about four miles downstream from Lepanges. Even today, copycat Crows plague some family members, other witnesses and even the judge.
In interviews, he can be heard saying that relatives might have been jealous of how well he was doing, but that was only because others were lazy and would not work for what they wanted in life. But few believe that the crucial riddles--who killed Gregory and who was The Crow--will be answered. The prosecutor took the investigation out of the hands of the gendarmes and gave it over to their rivals, the national police, who immediately focused their attention on Christine. At the beginning of June 2017, a new series of police interviews is scheduled. As you watch the documentary, you are bound to end up asking yourself whether Bernard Laroche, one of the most promising suspects in the case, actually did kill the little boy. Lors du procs de Jean-Marie Villemin suite lassassinat de Bernard Laroche, les lgistes et les experts seront amens sexprimer sur les causes de la mort de Grgory et sur les rsultats de lautopsie. Investigators came to the conclusion that Gregory might have been administered insulin before being thrown into the river. Jean-Michel Lambert, the first prosecutor, known as a juge dinstruction in French law, was replaced after Christine was charged. Copyright AFP 2023. He calmly waited at Laroches house and fatally shot him. Your money won't bring your son back. The charge was dropped, but Gregorys distraught father wasnt going to let him get away. Copyright 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Monique Villemin, grand-mre de Grgory, est dcde. It came to light that the child's parents had received anonymous letters and phone calls from a male threatening revenge against Gregory's father, Jean-Marie Villemin, in the years leading up to the murder. France24 reports that the next day,Grgory Villemin's parents received an anonymous letter, which said, in part, "I hope you die of sorrow, boss. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. Jean-Marie Villemin was a hardworking man from his family. (Netflix 2019). IBT Fast Start - Let the best of International News come to you. As reported by The Guardian, authorities revealed they have reexamined the threatening letters received by Grgory's parents using a Swiss method called "stylometrics." Lpanges-sur-Vologne, October 16, 1984. But it will never happen.. Gregorys grandfather, Albert Villemin, was the first to receive the anonymous letters and phone calls in 1979, but other relatives, especially Gregorys father, were harassed. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. REUTERS/Jacky Naegelen; Tour buses still visit Gregorys gravestone. He began to give interviews and even made remarks like the Gregory affair being relatively simple. This abominable affair has been made of suspicions and gossip, Ruyssen said. At regular intervals over the almost four decades, the picture of Grgory, smiling and cheeky-looking, wearing an orange and white sweater, has appeared in the French papers, often when yet another suspect was arrested and either held in custody or released. [21] In June 2019, she was indicted for aggravated defamation after Faivre lodged a complaint with police. With Laroche being killed by Jean-Marie, and Murielle sticking to her story, we might never get to the truth of the murky murder. L'avocate des parents du petit Grgory s'est confie sur la mort d'un autre enfant du couple Villemin. Reports suggest that Jean-Marie was not in his right mind when he shot Laroche, killing him. A nurse who treated Murielles diabetic mother in the early 1980s testified that she taught Murielle how to administer the insulin. Technically, all that is left for the judge and jury in Dijon to decide is the fate of Jean-Marie, who admits killing his cousin to avenge his sons murder. The four-year-old boys body was found in the Vologne river, a little away from his house where he is believed to have been kidnapped. A death that occurred just a few weeks after the discovery of the body of the little boy. This theory is strengthened further when you consider the fact that the raven knew the inner details of the Villemin family. In 2017, the judge committed suicide in his home in Le Mans, with a plastic bag and a scarf cutting off his air supply.
Quelle est la cause de la mort : hydrocution ou noyade ? On February 25, 1957, police discovered a cardboard box that had been dumped off the side of a country road near Philadelphia, PA. Unfortunately, Grgory seemed to have vanished without a trace. In an even more bizarre twist of events, the media circus began to dub her as a witch. Such tragedy could easily have resulted in a split. In 1985, when the family received letters from a mysterious crow, graphological analyzes were made and certain journalists of the time suggested that the hand behind these threatening letters was actually Christine Villemin, the mother. However, she did provide a DNA sample for further investigation. L'autopsie se droule le 17 octobre Nancy en prsence du juge d'instruction, le juge Lambert, de deux gendarmes et de deux mdecins lgistes. Les expertises en criture
Unfortunately, Grgory seemed to have vanished without a trace. Inside the box, which had once contained a bassinet purchased from J.C. Penney, officers found the nude body of a young boy, partially . It would have rendered him unconscious and the insulin would not have been detectable in an autopsy. It would be important to note here that Laroche was almost at the same social standing as Jean-Marie. Pour le Dr Le Breton, expert en toxicologie qui a analys les prlvements autopsiques, labsence de corps trangers ou de particules vgtales dans les poumons dissqus par le professeur Duprez rend impossible la noyade dans la rivire de la Vologne. The murder of the four-year-old Gregory Villemin in October 1984 is one such example. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Lautopsie de Grgory sera trs critique notamment en regard du peu de prlvements effectus et de la conclusion. [5] The communications indicated he possessed detailed knowledge of the extended Villemin family. Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin have always been together for the entire ordeal. Les viscres et autres lments permettant de prlever des diatomes et de confirmer le diagnostic positif de la noyade ne seront pas prlevs (coeur, cerveau, moelle osseuse, rein, foie). . This was October 1984 and the start of one of Frances most notorious unsolved murders. However, even without the help of the streaming platform, the murder of Gregory has long troubled the people of France, since nobody seems to have any answers. Laroche is arrested but Bolle is sent back to her family. Le 9 novembre 1984, Docelles, un garde champtre dcouvresur les berges du Barba (bras de la Vologne)une ampoule d'insuline vide d'une L'ADN et l'espoir
This is where things get interesting. But in his autobiography, The Little Judge, he said he remains convinced of her guilt. Bruno Moulin-Groleau - 84 ter avenue de Grammont, 37000 Tours, France - Siren 531710127 - Partenaire avec L214 tique & Animaux. In the fall of 1984, when the body of the 4-year-old boy was found bound hand and foot in the cold waters of Vologne (Vosges), the police accused Bernard Laroche, cousin of Grgory's father, Jean-Marie Villemin of murdered the boy. [3] The murder remains unsolved. They drove into another town, where Laroche walked out with Gregory only to return alone. Des tmoignages de professionnels du milieu, Un mot de passe va vous tre envoy par mail. Christine, Jean-Maries wife, had it even worse. He danced to Michael Jackson music. Laroche had no alibi. Theyve paid for what theyve done. Copyright 2023 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The second was the boys mother, Christine, against whom charges were later dropped. Le 16 octobre L'autopsie
(AFP) French police investigating the 1984 killing of a four-year-old boy have arrested three of his relatives, raising hopes of a breakthrough in one of the country's most high-profile unsolved murder cases. Shortly after 5pm on the evening of Tuesday October 16th 1984, four year old Grgory Villemin was taken from outside his house in the village of Lpanges-Sur-Vologne in the Vosges region of France. The heinous crime soon became a media circus with several suspects, but no concrete conclusion. He grew up in happiness. As reported by the Evening Standard, Grgory was officially reported missing by his parents, Jean-Marie and Christine, that same evening. Judge Lambert commits suicide in 2017 admitting in a letter that Gregory's case had haunted him. Bernard Laroche, Jean-Maries cousin, was also a factory foreman. You always had to eat lollipops with him. At around 5:30 p.m., she went outside to bring Grgory in for the evening and was stunned to discover he was gone. Villemin, then 25 and six months pregnant with her second child, spends several days in prison. His mother said she was inside, ironing and listening to the radio. In 2004 French authorities are ordered to pay each of Gregory's parents 35,000 euros ($42,000) in damages. This month an appeals court in Dijon accepts requests by the Villemins to compare DNA samples found on evidence to determine whether they come from their extended family. The investigation has also taken into account the possibility that he might have been drowned in tap water, or bath water, since the microscopic organisms that would be found in his system from drowning in river water, were markedly absent. After six months of no progress on the case, Gregory's father shoots and kills Laroche outside his home. There's my revenge." [1] [2] Lautopsie ne permettra pas de rpondre aux nombreuses questions qui se sont poses sur le dcs de Grgory : But they had grown apart over the years. The killing made headlines in France and abroad. [19], On 11 July 2017, the magistrate in charge of the first investigation, Jean-Michel Lambert, committed suicide. Read More: Where is Christine Villemin Now? However, at one point, his wife Christine became implicated in the murder. Later investigations proved that she was not given the full context of the information she was providing to the police at the time. In fact, in 1994, Gregorys parents made their last public media appearance. Skip Ancestry main menu Main Menu. Weeks earlier new criminal analysis software called Anacrim had showed "chronological inconsistencies" in various testimonies. Machynlleth, Powys, Wales, UK. On October 16, 1984, Jean-Marie and wife Christine reported the disappearance of their young son Gregory to police at 5pm. The Gregory affair could also have its DNA outcome. Hes a victim.. Le 31 octobre 1985 Jean-Marie Villemin est arrt pour le meutre de . The ordinarily strait-laced defendant delivered a tearful monologue of grief and anger, saying he decided to kill Laroche after visiting Gregorys grave. A nurse who treated Bolles diabetic mother in the early 1980s testified that she had showed Bolle how to administer insulin. She agrees with Jean-Maries lawyer that the defendant is not a killer. A second cousin of the child, Bernard Laroche, was charged with . Authorities said Bolle was the first of the three who were released. In 1985, the French newspaper Libration sent the celebrated writer Marguerite Duras to cover a sensational crime captivating France: the death of a four-year-old boy, "little Grgory," in the Vologne, a river in the east of the country. His mother said she was inside, ironing and listening to the radio. [12] Pregnant at the time, she launched a hunger strike that lasted eleven days. [4], From September 1981 to October 1984, Grgory's parents, Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin, and his paternal grandparents, Albert and Monique Villemin, received numerous anonymous letters and phone calls from a man threatening revenge against Jean-Marie for some unknown offense. Kraft was born in Kansas City, Mo., and has a bachelors degree in journalism from Kansas State University. [10] Bolle later recanted her testimony, saying it had been coerced by police. The elements are these: For months, even before Gregory's death, the extended clan of the Villemin family from Lepanges and surrounding towns was plagued by anonymous letters and telephone calls . Il s'agit de l'une des affaires les plus tristement clbres concernant la Police Technique et Scientifique la fin du XXe sicle. The case of a little boys death, the anonymous and terrifying Crow, the quintessential French family feud and the gossipy small town of Lepanges have enthralled the nation. Maybe. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin's son Gregory, left, was killed in a notorious and unsolved murder in 1984, near their home near Docelles, in eastern France. Four months later, Christine was charged with murdering her son. However, as per recent developments, authorities have concluded that more than one person might have been involved in the murder, and there seem to be hints of a feud within the family involving Laroche. After watching the documentary, you will find yourself walking away with more questions than answers as well. A completely innocent boy was taken from outside his house. REUTERS/Philippe Wojazer (FRANCE CRIME LAW) RM CM4XMW - Friday October 5th 2012. The man managed to put on a brave face and get through the ordeal of the investigation, cooperating with people involved in solving the case, including the police, and judges Jean-Michel Lambert and Maurice Simon. [18] Murielle Bolle was also arrested and held for thirty-six days before being released, as were the others who had been detained. The circumstances surrounding Gregory's drowning made his death an international news story. Reaction score. One month after Grgory's body was found, Jean-Marie's cousin, Bernard Laroche, was arrested and charged with the boy's abduction and murder. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Its stupidity, said Paul Prompt, the Laroche family attorney. Gregory, a bright, delightful youngster with long, curly brown hair, was the apple of his fathers eye. It was here that the trouble began within Gregorys extended family of more than 100 cousins, aunts, uncles, grandfathers and grandmothers. In 2004 French authorities are ordered to pay each of Gregory's parents 35,000 euros ($42,000) in damages. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com. Jean Ker, who worked for the Paris-Match at that time, appears in Netflixs documentary as well. It read: I hope that you will die from sorrow, boss. Death 16 OCT 1984 - Lpanges-sur-Vologne (88600), 88266, Vosges, France. Bernard Laroche, a cousin of the child's father, was charged with the murder a month after the boy's death, based on evidence given . The discovery in a river of Gregory Villemin's body in October 1984, bound hand and foot, led to a revenge killing, and the murder has remained unsolved even though it has been reopened several . Upon careful investigation from Judge Simon, it was proved that Christine could not have humanly killed Gregory within the timeline of events provided. He will be sentenced to five years in prison in 1993 but is soon released having already spent years behind bars awaiting trial. Will this series put spotlight back on them? [17] The aunt was released, while the great-aunt and great-uncle invoked their right to remain silent. October 23, 2022 7:09 pm Grgory Villemin, a four-year-old French boy who was abducted from the front yard of his home in a small village called Vosges, in France, on 16th October of 1984. However, the couple will always be pictured as holding hands, as a reporter puts it in the documentary. [4], On 14 June 2017, based on new evidence, three people were arrested: Grgory's great-aunt and great-uncle, as well as an auntthe widow of Michel, who died in 2010. In fact, they have urged for the case to be reopened numerous times. Four of Christines co-workers said they saw her mailing a letter at the local post office, about the time Gregory disappeared. Sign up and stay up to date with our daily newsletter. Although the letter referred specifically to Grgory's death, Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin received threatening phone calls and letters prior to their son's murder. His story for the Los Angeles Times magazine on the AIDS epidemic in Africa won the SPJ Distinguished Service Award for Foreign Correspondence. Au plus fort de l'affaire, elle et son poux Albert avaient exhort leur fils Jean-Marie Villemin se rconcilier avec eux. He also was a Pulitzer Prize juror in international reporting in 2014 and subsequently chaired four Pulitzer juries Public Service in 2015, International Reporting in 2020, Explanatory Reporting in 2021 and Illustrated Reporting and Commentary in 2022. His body was found four kilometres (2.5mi) away in the River Vologne near Docelles. His body was later found in the Vologne river to the horror of his parents. In fact, Bernard and Jean-Marie played together as children. Jan 16, 2014. Gregory's grandfather, Albert Villemin, was the first to receive the anonymous letters and phone calls in 1979, but other relatives, especially Gregory's father, were harassed. Gregory Villemin was found tied up and drowned in the Vologne river in eastern France in October 1984 French police investigating the killing of a four-year-old boy in 1984 arrested three of. Des prlvements de sang et dune partie dun poumon sont effectus. Police think they have cracked the case when, after initially backing Laroche, Bolle changes her story and says she witnessed the kidnapping. They had then driven over where the man had come back with a young boy, possibly Gregory. Heres my revenge, you bastard.. Although former investigator Jean-Michel Lambert later became a judge and retired from that position, the criticism surrounding his handling of the case never waned.
Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, parents of Gregory Villemin, who was murdered at four-years-old / Gerard Cerles/AFP/Getty Images. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website.