“It’s very difficult to mourn”: loved ones still inconsolable one year after the murder of Reynier Silegas Ramirez

He was a figure on the Gers music scene. A year after his tragic disappearance, many questions remain unanswered for those close to him. On November 28, 2023, the body of Reynier Silegas Ramirez, a Cuban singer popular in the Gers and Haut-Garonnais departments, was found by emergency services in disturbing circumstances.

The day before his death, Monday evening, Reynier had to go to Gers to accompany a choir. They never saw it coming. The details of this fateful evening remain mysterious, and a probable referral to the criminal court is expected.

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A year later, two suspects, aged 36 and 26, are still at the center of the investigation and have been indicted, the first for murder and theft and the second for concealment of theft. During the summer, a new investigating judge was appointed to follow up on the case. The alleged murderer should be the subject of a psychiatric assessment.

“Not a day goes by without me thinking about him.”

In those around Reynier, who had just celebrated his 43rd birthday the day before the tragedy, the grief is struggling to fade. In the Toulouse region, just as in the Gers, his loved ones do not forget him. “Not a day goes by without me thinking about him,” confides Dominique, a close friend and former partner of Reynier. She remembers everything: the numerous trips back and forth between Cuba and France, the roommates with Dani, her best friend, and Reynier.

After their divorce, Reynier and Dani lived a love story marked by strong moments, before Dani's disappearance in 2018. In this Toulouse building on Avenue desUnis, now under seal, she claims to have lived “a wonderful story”, even calling it a “house of happiness”. “There was a lot of passing, we laughed a lot.” Memories, far from any carelessness.

The sudden news of the death of the man who had shared part of his life was a terrible shock for Dominique. Over time, the tears have given way to a lack of understanding that seems insurmountable. “It’s very difficult to grieve,” she admits.

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A lover of France, Reynier radiated with his smile and his openness. With his powerful voice, he inspired younger generations, while sharing his Cuban heritage in a captivating musical fusion. “How could we attack such a beautiful person?” asked Éric Duffau, founder of Tempo Latino.

He remembers with emotion Reynier's charisma on stage, where he won over the audience at the Vicois festival thanks to his talent and contagious energy.

“He was an extraordinary man, I think about him a lot these days. We had a project together for 2024. I had seen him shortly before his death, while he was working with the new choir that he had created in Toulouse”, declares Patrick De Chirée, president of the Gers festival “Éclats de Voix”. “I see artists, but he was an extraordinary choir director. He was a giver of joy and the pleasure of living,” he continues.

An inevitable sentence

In the Gers, his numerous appearances had left their mark. By chance, Éric Duffau, who took part in the tribute paid to the singer last year, met a British man who knew Reynier well. “We talked about him, he told me about singing with him and what a great guy he was,” he says.

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For her part, Dominique maintains her memory daily since she finds herself at the heart of administrative procedures. “Today is very difficult, but I must hold on and accomplish what is necessary […] I can't have hatred today, it won't bring Reynier back to me. The grief will always be there and I will always miss him,” admits Reynier’s friend with emotion.

The pain is also immense for Reynier's family who remained in Cuba, where his ashes could not be repatriated. Despite the economic and geopolitical obstacles that paralyze these efforts, his loved ones remain united in their fight to honor his memory and perpetuate his musical legacy.