Vincent de Moro-Giafferi was one of the most brilliant lawyers in history. He represented the defense in the hottest cases of the Roaring Twenties such as those concerning Caillaux, the Bonnot gang, among others. But it was at the Landru trial that he distinguished himself the most
Although he is often cited, Auguste Navières du Treuil, who was the second lawyer, played an essential role during this trial.
Born in Berneuil, in Haute-Vienne, buried in Blond in 1967, where he rests with his first wife, his brother and his daughter, he had gained the trust of the great criminal who made him, before being guillotined on February 25, 1922 in Versailles, numerous confidences, never revealed.
He does not plead in session
“Auguste Navières du Treuil did not plead in session, he let the talented master Moro-Giafferi do it in his place because according to the testimony of his daughter, Navières did not want to defend his client himself at the bar, because he did not pleaded only when he was convinced of his client's innocence. Marielle Papon, the lawyer's granddaughter, provides other equally fascinating details.
“I can tell you that I got the following anecdote about Landru from my grandfather. Medicine wanted to know how long it took for a person condemned to death to lose consciousness. Landru took part in the experiment.
He had to blink as long as possible. My grandfather told me that he blinked three or four times after his head fell into the basket,” she testifies.
He gave his glasses to Navières
In his Upper Viennese home, the lawyer spoke very often about Landru. Legend even said that on the day of his execution Henri Désiré Landru gave his glasses to Auguste Navières du Treuil before mounting the scaffold who, back in Limousin, used them until his death in 1967! Marielle Papon, whom we contacted, confirms. “The Landru glasses actually given to my grandfather the day he went to the scaffold. He would have even told her. I’m giving them to you because where I’m going I won’t need them anymore.” They were bought by the Minister of Justice Robert Badinter from my mother to go to a museum. But I don’t know which one anymore,” confides Marielle Papon. Navières du Treuil, provides other information on glasses. Learning of his death sentence, he leaves the box for the last time, meticulously buttoning his little yellow overcoat. After making sure they were in his pockets.” Navières du trinch adds. “I attended the execution on the morning of February 25, 1922 at Versailles prison. When asked if he finally confessed to having murdered these women, Landru replied: “That, master, is my little baggage…”
Unrevealed annotations
In 1968, during a press conference, the daughter of Maître Navières du Treuil sat alongside President Claude Lussan. She provides other details published in the newspaper Le Monde on September 25, 1968. The theme of this meeting with the press was Did Landru leave a confession in writing? . “Shortly before his death, in fact, Me Navières du Treuil asked his daughter to give the president of the bar a drawing drawn by Landru's own hand in his death row cell. This sketch represents the famous stove in which, according to the prosecution, he burned the bodies of at least some of his victims, if not all.
In legend, was placed in a coaster. Landru had reproduced the statement of one of the witnesses to whom the accused had mentioned that you could burn whatever you wanted in this stove. Other handwritten inscriptions were given to President Lussan. The lawyer knew a lot about this case. But he didn't have time.
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