“We’re dirtying my father, we weren’t living on a powder keg”

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The 7 mars 2017Michel Charbonnier, 64, was killed in the explosion of his car in Saint-Loup-de-Naud (Seine-et-Marne)at the wheel of which he was in the company of his nephew. Next to seven years later, this drama always unexplained resurfaced after the explosion of the deceased's old house, the November 27, 2024, killing a 31 year old woman and seriously injuring his companion. It was no less necessary for rumors to spread linking the two cases, with the backdrop of the link that Michael Charbonnier allegedly had with explosiveshe who was pyrotechnician amateur. DAs much as the investigators are currently favoring the trail of explosives to explain the explosion which blew up the house. Faced with what he describes as “wild speculation”Michael Charbonnier, Michel's son, testifies today for defend your family et the memory of his father. At 46, the one who now lives in Brittany assures him: his father, former firefighter volunteer, didn't joke with security and never stored explosives in his home.

Do you understand the rumors that link the disappearance of your father, who died in the unexplained explosion of his car in March 2017, to the fatal explosion in his former house, seven years later?

The coincidence is strange, which explains all these often eccentric and sometimes conspiratorial speculations. For us, it's heartbreaking. A woman lost her life in our old house, which has now been wiped off the map. It was my grandparents' house, where my father was born.

We sold it in 2019 to this young couple, victims of the explosion. It was the gentleman who bought it, because at the time, the lady had not yet finished her studies. This tragedy is terrible and I would also like to offer my condolences to the families of the bereaved couple. We experienced this, a few years ago, the difficult ordeal of mourning, of investigation, of incomprehension and the unknown…

What is certain is that the house was emptied, everything was checked before the sale, and five years have passed without the slightest problem. Even though it was no longer our home, this tragedy touches us. We have the impression of having been erased from this village.

In March 2018, the investigators responsible for shedding light on the explosion of your father's car explained that they “found absolutely nothing” criminal, excluding the terrorist trail. They also specified that Michel Charbonnier “was a heavy smoker who saturated the passenger compartment of the car, where fertilizers were stored”, without being able to establish “a cause and effect link”. Six years later, the Melun public prosecutor's office announced that it had closed the investigation. Do you know more?

I can't reveal anything, but the car did not explode because of explosives, nor because of the possible presence of fertilizer, because my father did not use any. It was organic.

With my lawyer, I take care of the legal aspect of the investigation. To my knowledge and that of my advisors, it is still on the prosecutor's desk (contacted on December 2, 2024, the prosecution confirms the dismissal of the investigation, editor's note).

Your father is presented in several ways: municipal councilor, former volunteer firefighter, but also amateur pyrotechnician and passionate about the First World War. These last two elements have been highlighted by those who assure that your father “collected” explosives, especially since the Melun public prosecutor’s office confirms “that he used them”. Who was he really?

My father was a versatile welder by trade. At the same time, he was indeed the chief volunteer firefighter of one of the last volunteer fire brigades of Seine-et-Marne (also called municipal firefighters, these were volunteers who depended on the municipalities, and not on the Department as this is the case today, editor’s note). As such, he didn't mess around with security and always helped others. There was no malice in him.

He never collected explosives (the Melun public prosecutor's office does not confirm the fact that the former owner was a collector of explosives, editor's note). My great-grandfather fought in the Great War and my father simply kept alive this duty of family and national memory.

He owned several collectible military clothing, objects and accessories, such as sculpted shell cases, which the poilus had decorated to pass the time in the trenches. But they were empty. During official ceremonies, he could dress in the uniform of the time, but he did not have a weapon. Moreover, when he dressed like his grandfather, he wore a caregiver's armband. He never liked violence.

Then, at one time, he actually set off one fireworks per year, commissioned by a merchant from Bray-sur-Seine. Having accompanied him at that time, I assure you that he was very careful and respected all security measures. I remind you that he was a volunteer firefighter. He was a responsible person.

What do you say to those who think your father might have stored or forgotten explosive materials or products somewhere in his house?

My father was the “security man” of the town, we did not live on a powder magazine! The living area of ​​the house had been renovated by my parents who called on a craftsman. Only the barn part has remained as it was in my great-grandparents' time.

What is certain is that on the evening of my father's death, civil security deminers combed the house with a fine-tooth comb. They checked everything, all the potentially “dangerous” things like the can of gasoline for the lawn mower etc. Obviously, there were no explosives, because there never were. Everything was secure.

The scientific police and the criminal brigade of the Versailles judicial police, in charge of the investigation, also searched the house and my home at the time, in the Melun region (Michael Charbonnier now lives in Brittany, editor's note ). We have nothing to reproach ourselves for, we did what was necessary before selling the house.

On social networks, you warned “those who spread false rumors sullying the memory of [votre] father”, not hesitating to threaten to “take them to court”. For what ?

All these false rumors are a lack of respect for us and the victim couple. A woman died in this explosion… It hurts and it doesn't help us understand what happened.

You know, when my father died, some still insinuated that I could have been involved in his death, because I am a former soldier… All this nonsense tarnishes the image of my father, of my nephew, of my family.

You have to imagine the looks of suspicious people, I fear the witch hunt, I fear for my mother and my sister who still live in the region. We cannot predict people's behavior.

The Melun public prosecutor explains that “given the nature and extent of the house explosion, the experts' initial findings suggest explosives”. You, who knew the area well, do you know what could have caused the explosion?

As I speak to you (2 December 2024, editor's note) and at the request of the police, I made a plan of the house as it was when we lived there. But since the sale, I don't know if any work has been undertaken by the new owners.

I raised things with the investigators. We must now let them work and stop talking nonsense. People need to understand that every false lead pushes investigators to check them.

All this prolongs things and postpones the day when we will know what happened, whether for my father or for the relatives of the young woman who died, and those of her partner who survived. Hearing all these things prevents grieving, it's toxic.

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