A 62-year-old man was arrested at dawn on Monday in Burgundy, in connection with two unresolved criminal cases dating back 24 and 36 years. This arrest marks significant progress in the cases linked to two murders that occurred in Isère, that of Laïla Afif in 2000 in La Verpillière and that of Nathalie Boyer in 1990 in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier.
An investigation relaunched thanks to DNA
According to information from Dauphiné Libéré, police from the research section (SR) of Grenoble managed to identify the suspect thanks to the DNA analysis of one of his relatives, obtained in the context of a completely independent case. According to a judicial source cited by the regional daily, the possibility that it is a serial killer is now seriously considered.
The suspect, already known to the courts, was sentenced in 2002 to a heavy sentence for raping his own daughters. Since his release from prison, he had settled in Burgundy, where he seemed to lead a new life.
An unprecedented legal framework
Placed in police custody in Dijon under the 96-hour exemption regime recently established for serial crimes, this arrest is a first in France. The suspect remains silent to investigators for the moment, but his DNA has been confirmed on several pieces of evidence, says a source close to the investigation. His custody could continue until Friday morning, time to refine the investigations.
Families hope for justice
Corinne Herrmann, lawyer for Nathalie Boyer's family, welcomed this “major progress” and sees it as a message of hope for families affected by similar tragedies in Isère, particularly in the context of the “disappeared from Isère”. “This proves that it is never too late to restart cases, even decades after the fact,” she said.
She did not fail to highlight the difficulties encountered in obtaining a reopening of these investigations. “In 2008, when I relaunched several files, the attorney general closed the door on me. But we never gave up. Today is a victory, not only for the Nanterre cold-case center, but also for all the families who have been waiting for answers for so many years. »
A failure and a hope
The grouping of the two cases by the Nanterre cold-case center highlights failures in the processing of these cases, according to Maître Herrmann. “These crimes could have been solved much earlier. But it also shows that it is possible to correct these errors thanks to modern means and unfailing determination. »
Investigators are continuing their work with the same tenacity, hoping to soon bring a conclusion to these tragedies which have marked Isère.
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