France has been shaken by the discovery of multiple bodies in the River Seine just outside Paris – which appear to be the victims of a single killer. Here is what we know so far.
On August 13th, a passenger riding on the RER C commuter train told French authorities they had seen a body floating in the Seine, near Choisy-le-Roi, a suburb to the south-east of Paris.
But when divers entered the river, they found more bodies – a total of four have now been recovered.
On Sunday, August 24th, the Créteil prosecutors’ office announced they had a suspect, a homeless man in his 20s known to have frequented the area.
The man has been mis en examen by prosecutors – the nearest equivalent to the term charged in English – for meurtres en concours (serial murders) and is believed to be responsible for the deaths of all four men.
He has been placed in pre-trial detention, pending further investigation.
Who were the victims?
The first victim was a 21-year-old Algerian national named Abdellah, and the second was a 26-year-old Tunisian national named Amir. Both young men were described as being in a ‘precarious situation’ – both were homeless and one was undocumented.
Investigators have linked both of them to a squat close to where the bodies were found, where the suspect had also spent time.
Abdellah had been missing since July 26th, while Amir had not been seen since July 31st.
The other two victims do not appear to have a direct connection with the suspect.
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The third victim was a 21-year-old Algerian man named Sami, who was a resident of the suburb of Choisy-le-Roi. He was reported missing by his family on August 7th.
The fourth victim was a 48-year-old Frenchman named Frantz, who lived in Créteil and had been reported missing by his relatives on August 11th.
On Tuesday, another body was discovered in the Seine, not far from where the four others had been found in Charenton-le-Pont. However, investigators do not believe the fifth body was connected to the series of murders.
What do we know about the suspect?
So far, details about the suspect’s true identity remain unclear. The French press has reported his name as ‘Monji H’ and his nationality as Tunisian, based on documents found in the squat he had known to frequent and confirmation from a relative.
But in police custody, he identified himself as a 24-year-old Algerian, born in Oran and named ‘Ahmed’.
He was often found on the banks of the Seine, near the location where the bodies were found. It’s believed that he has been homeless for the previous few months and may also be undocumented.
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Multiple French media outlets, citing French judicial sources, report that he has so far “refused to comment on the events” remaining silent throughout police interviews.
What do we know about what happened?
According to French media reports, at least two of the victims have shown signs of strangulation, and a third had unexplained, suspicious marks.
While the Créteil prosecutors’ office has not referenced a motive yet, the Paris Criminal Investigation Department (les enquêteurs de la brigade criminelle de Paris) is reportedly investigating whether the killings were motivated by homophobia.
The charity Stop Homophobia (Stop Homophobie) also announced it had filed its own civil suit, alleging that “several sources close to the case have suggested the accused’s hostility toward homosexuality, in a context marked by strict religious discourse.
“The hypothesis of a serial killer driven by homophobic beliefs is now being taken seriously by investigators.
“In light of these developments, the STOP Homophobia association will file a civil suit and is launching a call for witnesses, inviting anyone who has seen the suspect, or who has information about his movements and associations, to contact the investigators or contact us.”
The area near where the victims were found is reportedly a known meet-up (cruising) spot for men looking for casual sexual encounters with other men.