The unknown stalker was later referred to as "The Raven," and multiple people have been arrested in connection to the sinister correspondence, which included a letter the day after Gregorys murder that read: "I have taken vengeance.". The French public hopes that advances in genetic science could help identify the killer and give some closure to the family of Grgory. Christine was charged with murdering her son in 1985, but was cleared of charges in 1993 due to the failure of the prosecution to find a coherent motive to killing her son. Some family members were unhappy about it. An aunt notes that Laroche is scared, and Kerr forebodingly adds, These are strong words, they are scared. 'Yellowstone' Return Date Info, Savannah Guthrie Rushed Out Of 'Today' After Testing Positive For COVID-19 During Live Broadcast, Where Is Hoda Kotb? 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. Shortly after this, at 5pm the same day the boy's uncle received an anonymous phone call telling him the boy had been kidnapped and dumped in the Vologne River. After more than three decades, laffaire du petit Grgory may finally be ready to yield its secrets. Fifteen at the time of the murder, it was her testimony that led to the arrest of her brother-in-law Bernard Laroche in 1984. Four-year-old boy's great uncle and aunt have been arrested and placed under investigation three decades after his death Shortly after 5.30pm on 16 October 1984, Christine Villemin abandoned her France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites. The murder of Grgory Villemin is one such unforgettable case. Enter your password to log in. Here is my revenge, you stupid bastard.. The murder of little Grgory: unsolved case that haunted France may soon yield secrets Four-year-old boy's great uncle and aunt have been arrested and placed under investigation three decades after. The boys great aunt and uncle, Marcel and Jacqueline Jacob, aged 72 and 73, were arrested in June and placed under formal investigation for kidnapping and confinement followed by death. France 24 - International breaking news, top stories and headlines. In her book, Bolle accused Faivre of lying about the reason why she recanted her initial statement. 3,408, This story has been shared 3,218 times. hortly 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. Join the newsletter to get updates monthly straight to your email, and win one of 10 free books. On 14 June 2017, based on new evidence, three people were arrested Grgorys great-aunt, Marcel Jacob, and great-uncle, Jacqueline Jacob, as well as an aunt the widow of Grgorys uncle Michel Villemin, who died in 2010. 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. The man, nicknamed Le Corbeau ("The Crow") by the media, especially hated Jean-Marie. Declaring her innocence she went on hunger strike and ended it on Tuesday, the same day the former judge was found dead. In 2018, Murielle Bolle authored a book on her involvement in the case,Breaking the Silence. Audience ratings certified by ACPM/OJD. To this day, nobody has been found guilty of the murder., The Gist: This French documentary, spanning five roughly hour-long episodes, exhaustively follows the details of the murder of young Gregory Villemin in 1984, but also the terrible harassment that preceded the boys death. Your money will not bring your son back. The same night, his body was found 2.5 miles away in the Vologne River near Docelles. The murder of the four-year-old Gregory Villemin in October 1984 is one such example. Grgory Villemin was found dead in October 1984, Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, parents of Gregory Villemin, who was murdered at four-years-old, The Vologne river in Docelles, eastern France in which Gregory was found tied up and drowned in October 1984, You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. There is no material proof, nothing, said one, Stephane Giuranna. 1,172, Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved, When Does 'Black Girl Missing' Premiere on Lifetime? Bound hand and foot and still wearing his woolly hat, Grgory was pulled from the Vologne river four miles (7km) from his home at 9.30pm on the evening of his disappearance, and buried four days later in the local cemetery. Lawyers for the accused couple say they strongly deny the allegations. He will be sentenced to five years in prison in 1993 but is soon released having already spent years behind bars awaiting trial. 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. The motive was jealousy being financially less successful and having a mentally-retarded son, Laroche wanted revenge. A few days later, the local gendarmes, soldiers who work as police in small rural areas in French towns, found a hypodermic syringe and empty vial of insulin box near the riverbank. Another aunt, Ginette Villemin, was also questioned by police but eventually released from custody. In the beginning, the primary suspect was Bernard Laroche, the first cousin of Jean-Marie Villemin. The Villemins alerted the police and began recording the calls, whereupon they stopped and the poison-pen letters started. The next day, Gregorys father, Jean-Marie, received an anonymous letter from the same person saying, I hope you die of grief, boss. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? From the beginning, suspicion fell on the family of the boys father, 26, whose parents, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived nearby. Soon after, following the publication of yet more damning criticism of his handling of the case, Jean-Michel Lambert, the retired judge who as a young examining magistrate had led the initial investigation, was found dead at his home, a plastic bag over his head. The young child's body was found on October 16, 1984, tied up and drowned in the Vologne river in an area of eastern France close to the Vosges mountains. It happened over 30 years ago Affaire Grgory, The Case of Grgory in English. As he had threatened publicly to do, Jean-Marie Villemin, his wife six months pregnant with their second child and now suspected of murdering their first, took his hunting rifle and shot Laroche dead. Police discover Gregory's body in a river in October 1984, his hands and feet bound, hours after he disappeared from the yard of his home in rural Lepanges-sur-Vologne in the Vosges region of eastern France. Judge Lambert commits suicide in 2017 admitting in a letter that Gregory's case had haunted him. 4,359, This story has been shared 3,709 times. poison-pen letters and false leads, and his killer has . A day later she recants her statement. Some family members were unhappy about it. Between hospital visits, Gregory's father Jean-Marie went to Laroche's home and shot him dead. 2023 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. Judge Lambert does not hear Bolle's testimony for several days and when he does he leaks Bolle's statements to the press. The case was reopened in 2000 to allow for DNA testing on a stamp used to send one of the anonymous letters, but the tests were inconclusive. At 5:30 pm, Gregorys uncle Michel Villemin informed the family he had just been told by an anonymous caller that the boy had been taken and thrown into theVologne River. Get the latest headlines, releases and insider-gossip direct to your inbox with our Binge-worthy newsletter. The investigations and analyses show that several people cooperated together in the commission of this crime.. A second cousin of the child, Bernard Laroche, was charged with the killing, based on evidence given by his 15-year-old sister-in-law Murielle Bolle - but was released from custody after she withdrew her allegations, claiming she had been pressured by police. The scale of the media spectacle is evident photographers mobbed the funeral, capturing close-up pictures of the grief-stricken familys anguish that would be plastered in magazines and on newspaper covers across France. 1,199, This story has been shared 1,172 times. The recent detective work, he said, is monumental, and of high quality. The following day, the child's parents received a letter that said: "Your son is dead, I have been avenged.". Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, centre and right, attend a court hearing following the murder of their four-year-old son. Who Killed Little Gregory? 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. "This is my vengeance, a--hole.". Against the public prosecutors advice, Lambert ordered that Laroche be set free. 1,282, This story has been shared 1,217 times. He turned himself in immediately, and would not be released from jail until late 1987. This month an appeals court in Dijon accepts requests by the Villemins to compare DNA samples found on evidence to determine whether they come from their extended family. Jean-Maries cousin, Bernard Laroche, was the first person implicated in the crime by handwriting experts. Few cases beyond the disappearance of. Instantly recognisable, a photo of the little boy, all tousled hair and trusting grin, has haunted a generation. Stream It Or Skip It: 'Love at First Kiss' on Netflix, a Spanish Rom-Com About a Man Gifted with 'Romantic Clairvoyance', Stream It Or Skip It: Tonight Youre Sleeping With Me on Netflix, a Dull, Passionless Polish Rom-Dram, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Disconnect: The Wedding Planner' on Netflix, A Nollywood Rom-Com, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Sunday Affair' on Netflix, a Lukewarm Nollywood Love-Triangle Drama, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Marlon Wayans: God Loves Me' On HBO Max, Making The Oscars Slap All About Him, Stream It Or Skip It: 'Triangle of Sadness' on Hulu, Ruben Ostlund's Skewering of the Moneyed Elite. But in November, Bernard Laroche, a cousin of Jean-Marie, was arrested and charged with murder. A couple in their 70s and a woman have been detained for questioning by police, 32 years after a crime that horrified France. The whole Jacob family had a longstanding hatred for the Villemin clan which their sister/aunt had married into. 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She had given their four-year-old son, Grgory, a woollen hat to wear so he could play on the mound of builders sand still beside the house, but it was time for him to come in. On 25 March handwriting experts identified Grgorys mother Christine as the likely author of the anonymous letters. Further testing was done in 2008 on the rope, letters, and other evidence, but also proved inconclusive. The question still divides French people. 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. She retracted the evidence but prosecutors believe she was forced to do so by relatives. 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. For several years in the early 1980s, an unknown man repeatedly harassed and threatened Jean-Marie Villemin and his family in hundreds of letters and phone calls. 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. The following month Jean-Michel Lambert, who was the investigating magistrate in charge of the first administration, committed suicide. The killer was still on the loose. Murder. Four year-old Grgory Villemin , who was murdered near Docelles in the French department of Vosges on 16th October 1984. Read about our approach to external linking. After searching on their own, they call the police at 5:50PM. Scott Hines is an architect, blogger and internet user who lives in Louisville, Kentucky with his wife, two young children, and a small, loud dog. 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While Jean-Marie was in jail for the revenge killing, his wife and Grgorys mother, Christine, appeared to the focus of the investigation. Laroche, who denied any part in the crime or being the Crow, was released from custody on 4 February 1985. Jean-Michel Lambert, centre, taking part in the crime scene reconstruction after Grgory Villemin was found dead in the river in Lpanges-sur-Vologne. Will There Be A 'Sex/Life' Season 3 on Netflix? The 1984 murder of 4-year-old Gregory Villemin was a media spectacle in France, captivating the country's attention in much the same way the murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey did for the American. Father Jean-Marie Villemins success as a factory foreman is referenced in a letter left by the murderer on the death of the childs death I have taken the bosss child, it notes. 2,089, This story has been shared 1,796 times. That was until about 08:00 (06:00 GMT) on Wednesday, when investigators from Dijon detained a couple in their 70s in the village of Aumontzey, in the Vologne river valley. The case of who killed Gregory remains unsolved. 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. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Bernard also had a son about the same age as Grgory. The Mystery Death of Robert Boulin: Suicide orAssassination? Grgory Villemin was four when his body was found in the Vologne river. 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. 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. Bolle, who similarly denies any involvement, was recently freed but under court supervision after five weeks in jail. Laroche fitted the bill perfectly: handwriting experts argued he had written two of the poison-pen letters, and his sister-in-law, the teenaged Bolle, told gendarmes she had accompanied him when he drove to the Villemins house, picked up Grgory, headed for the river, then went off with him, and came back alone. 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. As always you can unsubscribe at any time. He was last seen by his mother playing in front of the house 16 October 1984. 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. Freed after an 11-day hunger strike, Grgorys mother was not fully cleared for eight years, when the case against her was dismissed as utterly without charge. Then came the arrest of Muriel Bolle amid similar allegations. 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. Jean-Marie Villemin in police custody during his trial for the murder of Bernard Laroche. The following day, the victim's father receives another letter: "I hope you die of sorrow, boss. Have you watched Who Killed Little Gregory? On Oct. 16, 1984, Gregory was found dead in the Vologne River near Docelles, France. The boy's murder . In June 2017, Bolles cousin Patrick Faivre told police that Bolles family had physically abused Bolle in 1984 and pressurized her to recant her initial testimony against Bernard Laroche. But what happened to Gregory Villemin in real life, and has the case now been solved? Jean-Marie Villemin vowed in front of the press that he would kill Laroche. Christine Villemin arrives at prison in Dijon. "Jean-Marie Villemin reacted with sadness. The next day, Jean-Marie and Christine received an anonymous letter that claimed responsibility for the murder, which it said was motivated by revenge. Police think they have cracked the case when, after initially backing Laroche, Bolle changes her story and says she witnessed the kidnapping. Grgory, my darling, dont go, come back! sobbed his mother Christine, then 24. Police imminently launched a search to Gregory, only to discover him drowned in the Vologne river, with his feet and hands bound with cords, on the same night. Christine jumped into her car and drove increasingly frantically around the small village of Lpanges-sur-Vologne, in Frances eastern Vosges region. That same month, three other members of the child's extended family were also arrested. What We Know. Monique Villemin, Grgory's grandmother in 1985. 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