an 81-year-old woman found dead in a bag in the forest, her neighbor suspected, another neighbor “not surprised”

An octogenarian who had been missing for a few days was found dead in a bag in the forest with numerous wounds on her face. His 35-year-old neighbor is in police custody. An investigation is opened for intentional homicide. Another neighbor testifies.

A macabre discovery. Friday November 22, 2024, walkers discovered, near Blois, “on the edge of a wood, near a path, a bag which seemed quite heavy“, indicates the public prosecutor of Blois, Charlotte Beluet, to AFP. Inside, the body “completely folded“of an 81 year old woman with”face smashed“. This face is that of Odile Malfray, described as “adorable and sparkling” by his neighbor downstairs. His neighbor upstairs, aged 35, was placed in police custody. An investigation into intentional homicide has been opened, announced the Blois public prosecutor's office.

“Very violent blow” to the face and “wounds made with a knife” to the neck

Odile Malfray had disappeared since the beginning of the week. Without news and worried, it was his son-in-law who alerted him to his disappearance, again according to Charlotte Beluet, the Blois prosecutor. A wanted notice had even been published. At the time of the investigation, traces of blood were found at the octogenarian's home, “some of which have been cleaned“. The victim allegedly received “very violent blows with a fairly heavy object“in the face.”Large wounds that resemble knife wounds” are visible at the level of his neck, specifies the prosecution.

The victim's neighbor, aged 35, was taken into police custody. He claims to have “discovered her neighbor lying at home and dead“. A conflict existed with her 81-year-old neighbor over a water leak. “He would have cleaned everythingrelates the Blois prosecutor. He then allegedly transported the body in this suitcase“The magistrate explains that 3 km separate the home from the place where the body was found, a distance”that he would have done on foot“.

Without a criminal record, the victim's neighbor denies having committed the homicide, underlines Charlotte Beluet. However, he would have admitted to having moved the corpse of Odile Malfray. An autopsy will be carried out on Monday November 25 to determine whether the beatings were inflicted before or after the death of the 81-year-old woman.

Questioned by France 3, Coraline Gonzales, another neighbor of Odile Malfray, admits not to be surprised by the suspicions about her neighbor. “I immediately thought of itshe assures. We've had problems with this neighbor for years… Mentally, he's not alone, if you can put it that way.“

She saw her octogenarian neighbor for the last time on Monday, November 18 and witnessed an abnormal event. “It's not normal for her to come out in the evening after 4 p.m. when night begins to fall.”points out Coraline Gonzalves. According to her, it is their other neighbor, aged 35, who is guilty of the murder. “I have been shouting it since the first day, I said it in my statement to the police that, from the first days, for me, it was the neighbor“, she accuses.

She remembers incessant neighborhood conflicts with this other neighbor. “There were water drainage problems for which he himself does not feel responsible. There were problems with water flow to Odile's houseremembers Coraline Gonzalves. And that was really a point of contention. Odile complained to me about it at least once a week, saying “oh, he made noise again!” or “the water has flowed again!“

Despite everything, she did not expect this outcome for Odile Malfray whom she portrays as “the grandma we all dream of having“. “I didn't think it could go this far and even less this waydeclares Coraline Gonzalves. It's horrible.”