They moved in the hope of answers. Leaving the courtroom, this Tuesday, December 31, in Pau, the seriousness of the faces outlines the disappointment of those close to Laure Zacchello. “How can he look at us after that?” », whispers one of them. This December 31, they came to see Alexis Juret, their son-in-law or brother-in-law, to request his release from the investigating chamber. The man has been detained in Mont-de-Marsan (40) since the disappearance of his wife in June in Urrugne. He is indicted for murder. A crime without a body, so far.
The searches undertaken to find the mother yielded nothing. “He has been detained for one hundred and eighty-eight days on impressions, without any conclusive material evidence demonstrating his guilt,” said his lawyer, Mr.e Vincent Faget. We have offered placement solutions under judicial supervision outside the Basque Country. I dare to hope that the court will show courage. » Sometimes presented as cold and mute, the slender 43-year-old math teacher explained himself at length to the judges.
Find the key
For three hours, in a closed session open only to the civil parties, “he reiterated his innocence and his incomprehension”. “His suffering of being separated from his children too,” continues M.e Faget. He speculated about what happened to his wife, while explaining that in fact he knows nothing. »
For those close to him, he holds the key to the mystery. “Laure no longer belongs to the world of the living, that’s obvious,” says M.e Thierry Sagardoytho. The lawyer for Laure Zacchello's brother and cousin describes Alexis Juret as “the perfect suspect”. On June 21, he was found lying in front of their house. Seems unconscious after being hit. “He made sure to create a scene during his discovery. This point is now perfectly acquired,” explains M.e Sagardoytho.
“He looks at things through what suits him. Sometimes in amnesia, sometimes in the near certainty that he has nothing to do with it”
For investigators, the pretense conceals a murder, the culmination of a married life on the rocks. “Alexis Juret has been playing cat and mouse with the investigating judges for six months,” regrets Mr.e Sagardoytho. He revels in non-answers. He plays the trick of not seen, not caught. » The lawyer dismisses the theory of a voluntary disappearance. The “fable” would carry little weight next to the “pile of details”. Investigators found blood in the couple's home and car. A stained hammer was found near the house. Firearms, kept under lock and key, have disappeared.
To elicit responses, Alexis Juret was brought back to the scene on December 10. “On the spot, he is incapable of giving coherent explanations to a series of clues which implicate him. He looks at things through what suits him. Sometimes in amnesia, sometimes in the near certainty that he has nothing to do with it, continues Me Sagardoytho. When you haven't killed your wife, you're sure of it. These gestures fool no one. »
These contradictions and the needs of the investigation pushed the attorney general to request that Alexis Juret be kept in detention. The judges will make their decision on January 7.
