All three held by police were described as relatives of the boy's father. The next month, a cousin of the boy's father, Bernard Laroche, was arrested when his sister-in-law, Muriel Bolle, testified against him. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. Three years earlier, Jean-Marie Villemin had been promoted to foreman at the car parts factory where he worked. The story is obviously quite somber, but the pacing of the documentary, pairing archival footage with interviews and voiceovers, is brisk and tightly produced. A third person reported to be the father's half-sister was also being held. Laroche, who denied any part in the crime or being the Crow, was released from custody on 4 February 1985. Grgory Villemin's body was found with his hands and feet bound in the Vologne river in the north-east of France on 16 October 1984. . "This is my vengeance, a--hole.". This is my revenge, you bastard.. His sister-in-law also claimed that he was involved in the killing, though she later recanted her testimony. Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, centre and right, attend a court hearing following the murder of their four-year-old son. In 2004, Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin were awarded compensation of 35,000 (32,000) each for the multiple shortcomings of an entirely failed investigation that had denied them the chance of knowing the circumstances of their sons death and caused them personal harm. However, Jean-Marie was not convinced and openly announced to the media that he will kill Laroche. What We Know. His body was later found in the Vologne river to the horror of his parents. This testing proved inconclusive. Some family members were unhappy about it. For more details on this bizarre case, stream Who Killed Little Gregory? Grgory was kidnapped from his parents home and held for a certain time before his death, the prosecutor in Dijon, Jean-Jacques Bosc, said as he announced the charges. Another read: I hate you so much, the day you die I will spit on your grave. The ugliest was the one that arrived the day after Grgorys murder: I hope you die of grief, boss. She has rejected investigators firm belief and the testimony of a cousin that she was bullied by the family into retracting her 1984 statement incriminating her brother-in-law. Little news has been heard in the "Grgory affair" since police said in 2013 that DNA tests had brought the investigation no further. 2,089, This story has been shared 1,796 times. Pregnant at the time, she launched a hunger strike that lasted 11 days. The identity of Grgory Villemin's killer remains a mystery Mehaniq/Shutterstock BBC News reports the aunt and uncle, who are both in their 70s, are suspected of complicity in Grgory's abduction and murder, failing to report a crime, and failing to help a person who was in danger. A French court is looking at new DNA evidence in the notorious murder of four-year-old Gregory Villemin, whose death has transfixed France for 36 years. Jean-Marie Villemin in police custody during his trial for the murder of Bernard Laroche. Days later another relative, Murielle Bolle, 15 at the time of the murder, was detained and similarly charged. Villemin was sentenced to five years in prison for the crime. More than 100 witnesses were also interviewed and some 12,000 separate pieces of evidence run through an advanced artificial intelligence programme, AnaCrim, that locates potential suspects at given moments and uncovers inconsistencies in statements and alibis. If youre a fan of the true-crime genre, this is a well-crafted documentary series about a horrible and fascinating crime that few in this country are likely to be familiar with. She doubled down on proclaiming her and Laroche's innocence and blamed the police for her original testimony. He was not there. What We Know About Her Continued 'Today Show' Absence, 'Wheel of Fortune' Gets Awkward as Pat Sajak Snaps at Contestant for Grabbing Wheel: "Don't Touch That", 'Jeopardy!' Shortly after 5.30pm on 16 October 1984, Christine Villemin abandoned her ironing in the newly built chalet that she and her husband, Jean-Marie, had moved into just over a year earlier, and stepped outside. It was getting chilly. The discovery in a river of Gregory Villemin's body in October 1984, bound hand and foot, led to a revenge killing, and the murder has remained unsolved even though it has been reopened several . Theyve been promising a decisive new development for more than 30 years now, said the Laroche familys lawyer, Grard Welzer. The recent detective work, he said, is monumental, and of high quality. Given the many twists and turns this investigation has taken over the years including a second murder its not surprising that the case continues to capture the publics attention. 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Episode Guide: How Many Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Will There Be on Disney+? The 1984 murder of 4-year-old Gregory Villemin was a media spectacle in France, captivating the countrys attention in much the same way the murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey did for the American public a decade later. Villemin, then 25 and six months pregnant with her second child, spends several days in prison. Last month, three members of the murdered boy's father's family were held by police on suspicion of being accomplices. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. Grgory Villemin is a French boy from Vosges, born 24 August 1980, and killed in 1984. Initially, Gregory's second cousin Bernard Laroche was charged with the killing due to evidence from his 15-year-old sister-in-law Murielle Bolle, but the charges were dropped when she withdrew evidence and said she had been pressured to implicate him by the authorities. Bernard was released from custody in February 1985, much to the dismay of Jean-Marie, who whole-heartedly believed he was guilty. The Little Gregory's case is a famous case in France. The familial DNA tests led police to the killer, dubbed . A completely innocent boy was taken from outside his house. Five real-life stories behind the songs on Dolly Parton's Netflix show. Offers may be subject to change without notice. There is no material proof, nothing, said one, Stephane Giuranna. The charges against the little boys great-aunt and uncle followed modern handwriting and linguistic analysis of some 2,000 letters and voice recordings that led police to conclude their authors were a man and a woman, the prosecutor, Bosc, said. His mother said she was inside, ironing and listening to the radio. Many directly threatened the boss Jean Marie was in charge of 20 men and his family. His killer has never been found. Why Alex Murdaugh was spared the death penalty, Why Trudeau is facing calls for a public inquiry, The shocking legacy of the Dutch 'Hunger Winter'. After more than three decades, laffaire du petit Grgory may finally be ready to yield its secrets. It was on 16 October 1984 that Grgory Villemin's body was found and a magistrate opened what became one of the biggest mysteries in French criminal history. In June 2019, she was indicted for aggravated defamation after Faivre lodged a complaint with police. A day after the body was found, a poison-pen letter arrived at the home of the child's parents claiming responsibility for the murder and calling it "vengeance". Two days later, however, Bolle retracted her story. It happened over 30 years ago Affaire Grgory, The Case of Grgory in English. Hours before the . Grgory Villemin's body was found with his hands and feet bound in the Vologne river in the north-east of France on 16 October 1984. The French public hopes that advances in genetic science could help identify the killer and give some closure to the family of Grgory. Muriel Bolle was also arrested and she was held for 36 days before being released, as were the others who had been detained. The same night, his body was found 2.5 miles away in the Vologne River near Docelles. That same year, the magistrate leading the investigation, Jean-Michel Lambert, committed suicide and cited the pressure resulting from the re-opening of the case in a suicide note. The following month Jean-Michel Lambert, who was the investigating magistrate in charge of the. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? Grgory Villemin was found drowned in a river a few kilometres from his home, Christine Villemin (third from left) was for years wrongly blamed for the murder, Both of the boy's parents spent years in jail and later received compensation for a miscarriage of justice, US-made cheese can be called 'gruyere' - court, The children left behind in Cuba's exodus, AOC under investigation for Met Gala dress, Canadian grandma helps police snag phone scammer. This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. At 9:00 pm, Grgorys body was found in the Vologne with his hands and feet bound with rope and a woollen hat pulled down over his face. Another aunt, Ginette Villemin, was also questioned by police but eventually released from custody. In June 2017, Gregorys great-aunt and great-uncle, Jacqueline and Marcel Jacob, were arrested and charged with his kidnapping. Just like the mysterious caller, who was nicknamed The Crow" by French media, had proclaimed. In contemporaneous and current-day interviews with investigators, reporters, doctors, and people familiar with the Villemin family, we learn about the pattern of harassment that led up to the tragic death by drowning of little Gregory at the hands of the mysterious person known as The Raven. You can see that no one has let this go and its understandable why: the case is as sensational as it is tragic. Read about our approach to external linking. 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It was the start of perhaps Frances best-known unsolved murder case; a tale of twisted family jealousies and festering village feuds, of poison-pen letters, judicial incompetence, false accusations and a revenge killing a crime that 30 years later would drive a man to take his life. Ill have all your hides, one letter said. Jean-Marie was a young handsome man with a beautiful house, living in a happy marriage, had a well-paying job, and most importantly, an adorable son. His hands and feet were bound with rope and a woolen hat had been pulled down over his face. To summarize, in 1984, a young boy was kidnapped and murdered in Caligulas stunning 2,000-year-old sapphire ring tells of a dramatic love story, Evidence of a 14,000-year-old settlement found in western Canada, Archaeologists locate earliest known North American settlement, 2,400-year-old baskets still filled with fruit found in the submerged Egyptian city, 9,000-year-old site near Jerusalem is the Big Bang of prehistory settlement, Oldest stone tools ever found were not made by human hands, study suggests, Mysterious skeleton revealed to be that of unusual lady anchoress of York Barbican, Mummified crocodiles provide insights into mummy-making over time. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. Why have they done this to you?. HART FAMILY MURDERS: On 26 March 2018, a murder-suicide took place when Jennifer and Sarah Hart murdered their 6 adopted children by driving the family's sport utility vehicle off a cliff in Mendocino County, CA. This miniseries examines the case, the familys suspicions, and the ominous events that preceded the tragedy. "I didn't devote the full attention I should have given to the case from the outset," he conceded. examines the 1984 murder of 4-year-old Gregory Villemin, which remains unsolved. Its the opposite of sexy. What's the least amount of exercise we can get away with? 2023 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. More than 3,000 newspaper articles, 50 academic theses and 15 books have been devoted to the mystery, plus countless documentaries and a six-part TV series. Here is what you need to know about the case that has gripped France for three decades, with a number of twists and turns and further murders to complicate the investigation. Required fields are marked *. Christine Villemin arrives at prison in Dijon. Picture: AFP FRENCH police investigating the 1984 killing of a four-year-old boy arrested three of his relatives on Wednesday, raising hopes of a breakthrough in one of the country's most high-profile unsolved murder cases. Your money will not bring your son back. France was spellbound as the story unfolded through the media - but no killer has ever been convicted. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The body was found at 9. The case became known as the Grgory Affair and for decades has received widespread media coverage and public attention in France. Gregory Villemin found dead in the Vologne river on October 1984. Citing sources close to the case, French media have said detectives believe a clan around the original suspect, Bernard Laroche, were behind the killing: the Jacobs were his aunt and uncle, Bolle was his sister-in-law. Bernard had lived with his grandparents as a child, and had grown up with his uncle Marcel, who had about the same age as him. After six months of no progress on the case, Gregory's father shoots and kills Laroche outside his home. Police gathered handwriting samples from all the members of Jean-Maries family to rule them out, but handwriting analysis suggested that Laroche had a strikingly similar signature to that found at the bottom of the letter sent to the family. 3,408, This story has been shared 3,218 times. VideoRussian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims, The children left behind in Cuba's mass exodus, Xi Jinping's power grab - and why it matters, Snow, Fire and Lights: Photos of the Week.