A suspect has just been indicted and imprisoned in the enigmatic case of the assassination of Christian Maréchal, boss of the municipal police of Chambourcy (Yvelines), found stabbed at home in 2007, confirmed the parquet floor of Versailles on Sunday. Pedro D., born in 1983 and living in the wealthy commune of Yvelines, was arrested on April 17, said the same source, confirming information from the Parisian.
But his state of health having been considered incompatible with police custody, he could not be referred until this week. He was placed in pre-trial detention on Saturday for "murder" because of "a bundle of serious and consistent evidence" held against him, according to this source.
18 stabs
On the evening of March 21, 2007, Christian Maréchal, 59, was found stabbed 18 times in his pavilion while his wife attended a political meeting. No witness, no trace of break-in, only one DNA trace found but which will lead to nothing.
And, as if to muddle the trail, the killer (s) left a wacky letter signed Al-Qaeda, justifying the murder by the French presence in Afghanistan. Pedro D., who suffers from psychiatric problems, is already known to investigators.
He appeared in the file in 2010 as the author of letters with confused content addressed to the town hall of Chambourcy. He seems to indicate there "with crazy terms" that Christian Maréchal would have "taken for him", recalls Fanny Colin, the lawyer for the victim's widow.
But his DNA did not match and there was nothing to link him to the facts, she continues. He reappeared in 2012, through anonymous emails from Portugal, questioning the "Maghreb community of Chambourcy" in terms still as confused.
The investigators of the Versailles judicial police are tracing the wire, finding the sender thanks to the IP address: Pedro D., who makes "frequent trips back and forth between France and Portugal", according to Le Parisien. But still impossible to link it to crime. He is again left free.
"You have to be careful"
A new investigating judge recently resumed the procedure and redirected the investigation to Pedro D., notes Me Colin. But in the current state of the investigation - with no obvious motive or confession and in the absence of DNA evidence - "it is advisable to remain cautious", tempers the lawyer.
In this mysterious case, several people have already been placed in police custody then released and hundreds of witnesses heard. In recent years, the theory of a “hate crime or revenge” has been favored by the civil party.
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