In Mauritius, a court of assizes has finally found a man guilty of a murder committed 23 years ago. It is the murder of Vanessa Lagesse, a young fashion designer killed by her lover in March 2001. It took almost a quarter of a century to gather evidence
On the morning of March 10, 2001, Vanessa Lagesse’s body was found in her bathtub in the Grand Baie bungalow where she lived alone. Vanessa was 35 years old and had been in a secret relationship with a married businessman, Bernard Maigrot. He had been identified as the prime suspect, but he always denied the murder.
The accused had an alibi. That evening he was having dinner with his wife at a restaurant, and they both went to see friends before returning home. It took several expert opinions and counter-expert opinions to establish the time of the crime, between one and two in the morning. Bernard Maigrot had therefore had time to leave his house to kill his mistress.
In 2001, the Mauritian police were ill-equipped to analyse DNA at the crime scene. Samples had to be sent to a laboratory in Bordeaux, France, which identified the murderer.
Defended by a solid network of lawyers, the accused had managed to sow doubt about his guilt. The jury ended 23 years of proceedings by finding him guilty. Aged 62, Bernard Maigrot faces 45 years in prison.
