Another aunt, Ginette Villemin, was also questioned by police but eventually released from custody. The anonymous phone-calls and poison-pen letters continued over the years, and the case was reopened first in 2000 and then again in 2008 in an attempt to identify the DNA on the letters. 1,217, This story has been shared 1,199 times. Few cases beyond the disappearance of British three-year-old Madeleine McCann have aroused so much media interest, including a hit Netflix documentary series. Murder. On Oct. 16, 1984, Gregory was found dead in the Vologne River near Docelles, France. 'Mandalorian' Funko Pops up to 77% Off Baby Yoda and More for Season 3, Who Plays the Armorer in 'The Mandalorian'? All three held by police were described as relatives of the boy's father. She retracted the evidence but prosecutors believe she was forced to do so by relatives. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Let us know in the comments below. New limited series Who Killed Little Gregory? Since the collapse of the case, police have been able to take advantage of advances in DNA technology to shed further light on the murder. The familial DNA tests led police to the killer, dubbed . In 2004, Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin were awarded compensation of 35,000 (32,000) each for the multiple shortcomings of an entirely failed investigation that had denied them the chance of knowing the circumstances of their sons death and caused them personal harm. 1,172, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, When Does 'Black Girl Missing' Premiere on Lifetime? Grgory was kidnapped from his parents home and held for a certain time before his death, the prosecutor in Dijon, Jean-Jacques Bosc, said as he announced the charges. Three locals swore they had seen Grgorys mother at the post office on the day before his death, when the revenge letter had been posted; graphologists argued there was an 80% chance she was the letters author; string identical to that used to tie the boys hands and legs was found in the chalets cellar. Muriel Bolle was also arrested and she was held for 36 days before being released, as were the others who had been detained. A French court is looking at new DNA evidence in the notorious murder of four-year-old Gregory Villemin, whose death has transfixed France for 36 years. One of them was that Christine drowned her son and then fooled police and the public with the taunting letters. Ill tell you later, right before the credits roll. On an overcast October afternoon in 1984, four-year-old Grgory Villemin disappeared from the sandbox where he was playing near his home in rural eastern France. Lawyers for the accused couple say they strongly deny the allegations. From the familys basement police found strings that were similar to the ones used to bound Grgory. The case was reopened in 2000 to allow for DNA testing on a stamp used to send one of the anonymous letters, but the tests were inconclusive. Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. 2023 BBC. While there have been plenty of suspects and arrests, no one has ever been convicted for the murder. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. A completely innocent boy was taken from outside his house. Some family members were unhappy about it. More than 3,000 newspaper articles, 50 academic theses and 15 books have been devoted to the mystery, plus countless documentaries and a six-part TV series. In June 2017, Gregorys great-aunt and great-uncle, Jacqueline and Marcel Jacob, were arrested and charged with his kidnapping. She had given their four-year-old son, Grgory, a woollen hat to wear so he could play on the mound of builders sand still beside the house, but it was time for him to come in. Two days later, however, Bolle retracted her story. Many directly threatened the boss - Jean Marie was in charge of 20 men - and his family. Your money will not bring your son back. The murder of the four-year-old Gregory Villemin in October 1984 is one such example. Alien DNA in the body of the worlds oldest human ancestor. The whole Jacob family had a longstanding hatred for the Villemin clan which their sister/aunt had married into. Lawyers for the accused couple say they strongly deny the allegations. Further DNA testing in April 2013 on Grgorys clothes and shoes was also inconclusive. More than 100 witnesses were also interviewed and some 12,000 separate pieces of evidence run through an advanced artificial intelligence programme, AnaCrim, that locates potential suspects at given moments and uncovers inconsistencies in statements and alibis. Mr Lambert had himself admitted he was unprepared for the enormous interest in the case at the time, and had complained of the poor judicial support he had been given. The next day, Gregorys father, Jean-Marie, received an anonymous letter from the same person saying, I hope you die of grief, boss. Searching the river in the Vologne mountains, his body was found. The father went to jail for Laroche's murder and within months Judge Lambert had turned the inquiry towards the boy's mother, Christine Villemin. Villemin, then 25 and six months pregnant with her second child, spends several days in prison. There is no material proof, nothing, said one, Stephane Giuranna. Jean-Marie Villemin, a working-class man in the French village of Lepange-sur-Vologne, suspected that his success a promotion to foreman, owning his own home, a beautiful wife, and a cheerful child made him the target of these attacks, which became personal enough that suspicions immediately centered on a member of his own family. The calls and letters were unsettling, but few could predict what would happen on October 16, 1984, when Gregory went missing from his yard, or when his body was found drowned in the nearby Vologne River the next day. On his gravestone, his family wrote: "Here rests Bernard Laroche, an innocent victim of blind hatred.". The French public hopes that advances in genetic science could help identify the killer and give some closure to the family of Grgory. He turned himself in immediately, and would not be released from jail until late 1987. Bolle, who similarly denies any involvement, was recently freed but under court supervision after five weeks in jail. Meanwhile, the police turned their focus to Gregory's mother, Christine, who was then heavily pregnant. And there laffaire du petit Grgory rested until this summer. Suddenly, the handwriting experts saw similarities to the letter sent by "The Crow." Investigators believe that Gregorys murder was motivated by jealousy over the Villemins success. Grgory Villemin was found drowned in a river a few kilometres from his home, Christine Villemin (third from left) was for years wrongly blamed for the murder, Both of the boy's parents spent years in jail and later received compensation for a miscarriage of justice, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer. The Jacobs alibis, Bosc said, were unconfirmed and unsubstantiated. Gregory Villemin, a 4-year-old boy, was found dead in October 1984 with his feet and hands bound in the Vologne river, near his home in a village in eastern France. I learned why. The body was found at 9. French media reveals in December 2020 that a Swiss firm's analysis of the threatening letters points to a single suspect without saying who. She was accused of carrying out his murder in 1985 but eventually cleared in 1993. At 5.30pm that day, Gregory's uncle Michel received an anonymous phone call saying that Gregory had been kidnapped and dumped in the Vologne River. Police are investigating Jean-Michel Lambert's death but no signs of a struggle have been reported. This is a well-made piece of television, not just a throwaway crime-channel program. According to French news channel BFMTV, Judge Simon wrote at the time in his personal notebooks of Mr Lambert's "intellectual disorder". Its an exhaustive documentary series in the spirit of the best true-crime works, and a crime on the level of those that are immediately familiar by name to anyone here Adam Walsh, Etan Patz, Jon-Benet Ramsey. He will be sentenced to five years in prison in 1993 but is soon released having already spent years behind bars awaiting trial. On 14 June 2017, based on new evidence, three people were arrested Grgorys great-aunt, Marcel Jacob, and great-uncle, Jacqueline Jacob, as well as an aunt the widow of Grgorys uncle Michel Villemin, who died in 2010. To this day, nobody has been found guilty of the murder., The Gist: This French documentary, spanning five roughly hour-long episodes, exhaustively follows the details of the murder of young Gregory Villemin in 1984, but also the terrible harassment that preceded the boys death. After being questioned by the authorities, Christine collapsed and reportedly miscarried one of the twins that she was carrying. Several people testified her being at the post office that very same day, suggesting she could very well be the person behind the letters. The question still divides French people. He was fragile and frail (also it is heard that he has a slight mental retardation, but theres not any source confirming this). The young child's body was found on October 16, 1984, tied up and drowned in the Vologne river in an area of eastern France close to the Vosges mountains. 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. His hands and feet were bound with rope and a woolen hat had been pulled down over his face. While her husband was in prison, Christine was charged with her sons murder after she was identified as the likely author of "The Raven" letters. Read about our approach to external linking. The next month on November 5th, Bernard Laroche, a cousin of Grgorys father Jean-Marie Villemin, was implicated in the murder by handwriting experts and by a statement from Laroches sister-in-law Murielle Bolle, and taken into custody. Freed after an 11-day hunger strike, Grgorys mother was not fully cleared for eight years, when the case against her was dismissed as utterly without charge. It was getting chilly. Judge Lambert charges Gregory's mother Christine with his murder in July 1985, once again based on a handwriting sample. The case became known as the Grgory Affair and for decades has received widespread media coverage and public attention in France. His murder became a tale of family rivalries, poison-pen letters and false leads, and his killer has never been found. For years his parents Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin had received threatening letters and phone calls. They have yet to be tried for Gregorys murder. Police said the evidence pointed to suicide. 1,796, This story has been shared 1,701 times. Our Call: STREAM IT. The charges against the little boys great-aunt and uncle followed modern handwriting and linguistic analysis of some 2,000 letters and voice recordings that led police to conclude their authors were a man and a woman, the prosecutor, Bosc, said. Judge Lambert commits suicide in 2017 admitting in a letter that Gregory's case had haunted him. The boy's great-uncle Marcel Jacob and his wife Jacqueline were placed under formal investigation for kidnapping resulting in death. Why are the worlds largest pyramids kept secret? The young child's body was found on October 16, 1984, tied up. Events took a surprising turn in 2017 when three arrests were made based on new evidence: Gregory's great-uncle, his great-aunt, and his aunt by marriage. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The authorities then came up with a new theory, that his mother Christine was the killer. Theyve been promising a decisive new development for more than 30 years now, said the Laroche familys lawyer, Grard Welzer. On 29 March 1985, Jean-Marie Villemin shot and killed Laroche as he was leaving for work. It came to light that the childs parents had received anonymous letters and phone calls from a male threatening revenge against Gregorys father, Jean-Marie Villemin, in the years leading up to the murder. The killing set in motion a chilling crime saga that has kept France gripped for the past 30 years. Jean-Marie Villemin vowed in front of the press that he would kill Laroche. Between hospital visits to his wife, Jean-Marie visited Laroche at his home and shot him to death, going on to be sentenced to five years in prison for the crime, but was released after two and a half years. The motive was jealousy being financially less successful and having a mentally-retarded son, Laroche wanted revenge. For more details on this bizarre case, stream Who Killed Little Gregory? "I didn't devote the full attention I should have given to the case from the outset," he conceded. They also said that Muriel Bolle, who as a teenager had initially blamed the killing on Bernard Laroche, had been asked to provide a DNA sample on Wednesday before later being released. Grgory was a healthy and strong little boy, but sadly, Bernards son wasnt. Parting Shot: Jean Ker, a photojournalist who covered the case, recounts an interview with family members of the Villemins that immediately draws suspicion to a angry, unstable cousin of Jean-Marie, Bernard Laroche. The recent detective work, he said, is monumental, and of high quality. Heres what you should know about the horrific event before deciding to binge-watch the docuseries. In a suicide note he said he feared that reopening the case would discredit his own findings years earlier. Read about our approach to external linking. They went to school together and even then, Jean-Marie would have better grades, more friends, have girlfriends, etc. Laroche is arrested but Bolle is sent back to her family. Against the public prosecutors advice, Lambert ordered that Laroche be set free. She was accused by handwriting experts of having written the anonymous letters herself. With credit for time served awaiting trial and a partial suspension of the sentence, he was released in December 1987 after having served two and a half years. 1985, Christine was detained by the police, but later cleared of any charges. Days later another relative, Murielle Bolle, 15 at the time of the murder, was detained and similarly charged. Citing sources close to the case, French media have said detectives believe a clan around the original suspect, Bernard Laroche, were behind the killing: the Jacobs were his aunt and uncle, Bolle was his sister-in-law. Laroche fitted the bill perfectly: handwriting experts argued he had written two of the poison-pen letters, and his sister-in-law, the teenaged Bolle, told gendarmes she had accompanied him when he drove to the Villemins house, picked up Grgory, headed for the river, then went off with him, and came back alone. Jean-Maries cousin, Bernard Laroche, was the first person implicated in the crime by handwriting experts. The same night, his body was found 2.5 miles away in the Vologne River near Docelles. Laroche, who denied any part in the crime or being the Crow, was released from custody on 4 February 1985. Three years earlier, Jean-Marie Villemin had been promoted to foreman at the car parts factory where he worked. The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore. An aunt notes that Laroche is scared, and Kerr forebodingly adds, These are strong words, they are scared. Theyve been promising a decisive new development for more than 30 years now, said the Laroche familys lawyer, Grard Welzer. That same year, the magistrate leading the investigation, Jean-Michel Lambert, committed suicide and cited the pressure resulting from the re-opening of the case in a suicide note. etflix has launched another true crime documentary based on one of the most notorious crime mysteries to ever riddle France. "Investigations corroborated by criminal analysis show that several people colluded in the realization of the murder," he stated. Soon after, following the publication of yet more damning criticism of his handling of the case, Jean-Michel Lambert, the retired judge who as a young examining magistrate had led the initial investigation, was found dead at his home, a plastic bag over his head. His hands and feet were bound with rope and his face covered with a wool hat. His body was later found in the Vologne river to the horror of his parents. Is 'Operation Fortune' Streaming on HBO Max or Netflix? He was not there. is available now on Netflix. Showing Editorial results for gregory villemin. The story is obviously quite somber, but the pacing of the documentary, pairing archival footage with interviews and voiceovers, is brisk and tightly produced. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. She also accused her cousin Patrick Faivre of lying when he said that her family abused her in 1984 until she recanted her testimony against Laroche. They were placed in police custody on suspicion of complicity in the murder, failing to report a crime or helping a person at risk, according to L'Est Rpublicain website. His hands and feet were tied together with rope, his face in a woolen hat, and it emerged that the boy had been drowned. Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. A third person reported to be the father's half-sister was also being held. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. We use your sign-up to provide content in the ways you've consented to and improve our understanding of you. 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Episode Guide: How Many Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Will There Be on Disney+? Meanwhile Lambert had Christine arrested, charged her with the murder of her son, and placed her in pre-trial detention in July 1985. A fourth, said to be the victim's grandmother, was taken in as a witness. The case passed from the local gendarmerie to the CID in nearby Nancy who under Lamberts direction began, sensationally, to build a case against Christine. Offers may be subject to change without notice. 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After six months of no progress on the case, Gregory's father shoots and kills Laroche outside his home. On October 16, 1984, Jean-Marie and wife Christine reported the disappearance of their young son Gregory to police at 5pm. The father went to jail for Laroche's murder for several years. Eventually, the aunt was released, but the great-uncle and great-aunt chose to remain silent in the investogations. The 8 Best Soundbars To Buy In 2023, Per Experts, 11 Best New Movies on Netflix: March 2023's Freshest Films to Watch, New Movies on Streaming: 'Magic Mike's Last Dance' + More, Sex/Life Season 2: Adam Demos Tops His Famous Full Frontal Moment With, Uh, Tip, Vanderpump Rules: Tom Sandoval and Ariana Madix Break Up After He Reportedly Cheated With Raquel Leviss, 'Next In Fashion' Season 2 on Netflix: Follow the Designers on Instagram, Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? Four-year-old boy's great uncle and aunt have been arrested and placed under investigation three decades after his death Shortly after 5.30pm on 16 October 1984, Christine Villemin abandoned her Years after years, living in the same area, Bernard would grow more and more envious of his cousins successful life. 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. . Opening Shot: Bold text on a dark screen, noting that Since the murder of Gregory on October 16, 1984, several people have been suspected, placed under investigation or defamed without proof. Suspicious falls on members of Villemins own family, jealous of his happy life. Your money won't bring your son back. on Netflix now. The investigations and analyses show that several people cooperated together in the commission of this crime.. In addition, Laroche's sister-in-law told police that she had seen Laroche driving with Grgory, and police made the arrest. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. In the book, Bolle maintained her innocence and that of Bernard Laroche, and blamed police for coercing her into implicating him. The pregnant woman collapsed after questioning and was taken to hospital, reportedly losing one of the twins she was carrying. An half-hour later, an unknown man called little Grgory's uncle and bragged about kidnapping the boy and drowning him in the Vologne river. 2023 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. The heinous crime soon became a media circus with several suspects, but no concrete conclusion. "I hope you will die of grief, the boss, its not your money that will bring back your son," the note read. Gregory Villemin disappeared in 1984 while playing in the garden of his home and later was found in a river in France's eastern Vosges . Get notified of the best booming posts weekly. The charges against the little boys great-aunt and uncle followed modern handwriting and linguistic analysis of some 2,000 letters and voice recordings that led police to conclude their authors were a man and a woman, the prosecutor, Bosc, said. Since 1981 the child's parents had been receiving anonymous phone calls and hate mail from someone calling himself "Le Corbeau", or the crow. In the beginning, the primary suspect was Bernard Laroche, the first cousin of Jean-Marie Villemin. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? Both were later given compensation by the state for miscarriage of justice. This account already exists. Grgory Villemin was found dead in October 1984, Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, parents of Gregory Villemin, who was murdered at four-years-old, The Vologne river in Docelles, eastern France in which Gregory was found tied up and drowned in October 1984, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard.