these gray areas that persist

A year after Lina’s tragic disappearance, the autopsy results reveal new elements. However, many gray areas continue to hover over this upsetting affair.

Lina Delsarte, 15, disappeared in September 2023 while on her way to the station to go to her boyfriend’s house. Her disappearance had triggered a vast mobilization, but no sign of life of the teenager had been found until a walker discovered her body in October 2024, more than 200 kilometers from her home, near Saint- Blaise-la-Roche. This discovery relaunched an investigation which seemed to be running out of steam, bringing new clues but also its share of mysteries. Although the autopsy confirmed that Lina died from mechanical strangulation, the exact circumstances of her disappearance and death remain unclear. The main lead, that of a certain Samuel G, a 43-year-old father linked to the case, suddenly closed when the latter committed suicide in July 2024.

During a press conference held on December 19, 2024, the Strasbourg public prosecutor, Mr. Alexandre Chevrier, revealed the conclusions of the autopsy. Lina’s body, found in an advanced state of decomposition, bore the marks of strangulation caused by the handle of a tote bag, a canvas bag. Forensic experts observed a “very recognizable horizontal furrow” under his chin as well as linear cracks in the mandible, injuries that indicate extreme violence. These chilling details partially shed light on Lina’s final moments, but still leave many questions unanswered. What were the exact circumstances of this attack? And what led the attacker to attack her?

A mystery that persists despite the investigation

If the causes of Lina’s death have been determined, other gray areas remain. Investigators are still trying to understand how the main suspect crossed paths with the teenager. The autopsy could not confirm whether Lina had suffered sexual assault due to the advanced state of decomposition of the body. The main suspect, Samuel G, was also found by investigators thanks to a stroke of luck. The latter, working at Ford, managed to obtain an abandoned vehicle, the insured owner of which had been reimbursed. However, the insurance did not directly recover the vehicle, the investigators were able to find it and find the young girl’s DNA fingerprints. “The stroke of luck in this case is that the car was not claimed by the insurer and that it remained impounded. Otherwise this lead would never have come to fruition: without the car, we could not have established an objective link between Samuel G and the facts,” explained one of the police officers.

Article written in collaboration with 6Medias.