“I already couldn't get over the death of my parents… And there, my brother. It's very difficult for me. » Oscillating between despondency and anger, Eddie Lacoste looks back on a life that spared his family little. Unspeakable pain has just been added to the package of sorrows, with the death of William, four years his junior, in abominable circumstances. On the night of Wednesday December 18 to Thursday December 19, William Lacoste was discovered, in his apartment in downtown Tonneins, with his body bruised and lifeless. This 47-year-old tenant, particularly vulnerable due to a psychological disability, succumbed to repeated blows from his neighbor and also torturer. When Eddie Lacoste has to identify his brother's body, he has difficulty recognizing it, as it is so marked by the injuries inflicted on him with their bare hands or with blunt objects.
“The day of William's funeral, I fell and felt unwell. This is all very hard for me. When I think that someone massacred him, tortured him… My brother was a good guy, defenseless, he didn't know how to fight. A week before his death, my wife saw him in the street with a black eye. I called him and he told me he had fallen off his scooter. I blame myself for not having gone to see him more often. I feel guilty, because I was the one who put him in this residence. Nobody moved and now that he is dead, everyone is talking…” Eddie Lacoste vehemently regrets.
Generous
The fifth of six children, William Lacoste lived with his parents until their death. The first four children were placed in a home in a complicated social context, and even today, family relationships remain difficult. “I hardly ever lived with William. Our father died in 2023, our mother five months later. My sister welcomed him in Gironde, and afterwards, I brought him to my home in Tonneins for two and a half weeks. » Suffering from a mental disability and fragile health due in particular to his asthma, William Lacoste's only income was his disabled adult allowance. “Every Monday, he received 80 euros from his guardian,” specifies his eldest who himself benefits from a protection measure. When he was at home, he gave me 30 euros for shopping. He would have given his shirt off to everyone. »
“The day of William’s funeral, I felt unwell. This is all very hard for me. »
Eddie Lacoste recalls a tormented childhood for his brother, a chaotic schooling for the man who, at 47, “did not know how to read or write well. My mother's death was a trauma for him. For my part, I would have preferred that he be placed in a home. William never had a romantic relationship, he was very alone. »
He was
Impossible to know William Lacoste well, without talking about his faith, assures his big brother. “He was very religious, accompanied sick people to Lourdes, even went to Rome to see Pope Francis. Deep down, I think he would have liked to be a priest,” said Eddie Lacoste.
