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. There were numerous theories and speculations, not supported by evidence. Murielle admitted this in front of the police only weeks after the actual crime but withdrew her statement a couple of days later. 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. According to another track of investigation, Gregorys great grand-uncle Marcel Jacob and his wife Jacqueline were involved in the killing while his fathers cousin Bernard Laroche was responsible for the abduction. 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. From the beginning, suspicion fell on the family of the boys father, 26, whose parents, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived nearby. On October 16, 1984, Jean-Marie and wife Christine reported the disappearance of their young son Gregory to police at 5pm. 3,098, This story has been shared 2,363 times. Our Take: The events of October 1984 in the rural northern region of France known as the Vosges clearly have stayed with everyone who touched on the case even briefly. 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. In December 2008, following an application by the Villemins, a judge ordered the case reopened to allow DNA testing of the rope used to bind Grgory, the letters, and other evidence. "Jean-Marie Villemin reacted with sadness. 'Who Killed Little Gregory?' on Netflix Is a Crazy Tale of Revenge 1,217, This story has been shared 1,199 times. The case was reopened in 2000 for DNA testing on the stamp of the anonymous letter, but this proved inconculsive. grunge.com - Jennifer Deutschmann 13h. One of the anonymous threatening letters sent to Jean-Marie Villemin. The Crow" harassed the mourning couple for four long years and neither his or Grgory's killers identity has ever been discovered. His body was found four kilometres (2.5 mi) away in the River Vologne near Docelles. Further testing was done in 2008 on the rope, letters, and other evidence, but also proved inconclusive. Police opened an investigation into the former judge's death at his home in Le Mans, Grgory Villemin was found drowned in a river a few kilometres from his home, Jean-Michel Lambert later conceded he had not given the murder case his full attention, Christine Villemin (third from left) was for years wrongly blamed for the murder, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. 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. 4,359, This story has been shared 3,709 times. As well as the lead that led to the great-aunt, it also showed that Gregory's grandmother, Monique Villemin, "could" be the author of an anonymous death threat sent in 1989 to an . etflix has launched another true crime documentary based on one of the most notorious crime mysteries to ever riddle France. Murder. Searching the river in the Vologne mountains, his body was found. From the beginning, suspicion fell on the family of the boys father, 26, whose parents, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins all lived nearby. In interviews with investigators and reporters who covered the case when it happened, we learn that the family had endured three years of threatening anonymous phone calls from a figure know as Le Corbeau, or The Raven.. In December 2008, the parents fought to have the case reopened so that DNA testing could be carried out on the rope used to tie their son's hands and feet, as well as letters and other evidence. Read about our approach to external linking. Christine jumped into her car and drove increasingly frantically around the small village of Lpanges-sur-Vologne, in Frances eastern Vosges region. Jean-Marie Villemin vowed in front of the press that he would kill Laroche. 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. Gregory Villemin Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Bernard would also often visit his family and friends to talk trash about Jean-Marie, probably influencing them to hate him too. After being questioned by the authorities, Christine collapsed and reportedly miscarried one of the twins that she was carrying. Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? After more than three decades, laffaire du petit Grgory may finally be ready to yield its secrets. The whole Jacob family had a longstanding hatred for the Villemin clan which their sister/aunt had married into. Grgory Villemin was found drowned in a river a few kilometres from his home A couple in their 70s and a woman have been detained for questioning by police, 32 years after a crime that horrified. Christine jumped into her car and drove increasingly frantically around the small village of Lpanges-sur-Vologne, in Frances eastern Vosges region. There is no material proof, nothing, said one, Stephane Giuranna. The case passed from the local gendarmerie to the CID in nearby Nancy who under Lamberts direction began, sensationally, to build a case against Christine. The heinous crime soon became a media circus with several suspects, but no concrete conclusion. After more than three decades, laffaire du petit Grgory may finally be ready to yield its secrets. Sex and Skin: None. In 2018, Murielle Bolle authored a book on her involvement in the case,Breaking the Silence. Grgory Villemins tragic end was destined previously as from September 1981 to October 1984, Grgorys parents, Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin, and Jean-Maries parents, Albert and Monique Villemin, received numerous anonymous letters and phone calls from a man threatening revenge against Jean-Marie for some unknown offence. Threatening letters have been sent from the victims own village, suggesting both a brazen willingness to be caught and the ominous feeling, referenced on the day of the funeral, that the killer might be among them. Street fighting in Bakhmut but Russia not in control, Russian minister laughed at for Ukraine war claims. In the book, Bolle maintained her innocence and that of Bernard Laroche, and blamed police for coercing her into implicating him. Lawyers for the accused couple say they strongly deny the allegations. The investigations and analyses show that several people cooperated together in the commission of this crime.. The same night, his body was found in the nearby Vologne River - he was believed to have been thrown in alive. 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? An half-hour later, an unknown man called little Grgory's uncle and bragged about kidnapping the boy and drowning him in the Vologne river. MYSTERIESRUNSOLVED & MRU MEDIA, 2019-2022. French police reopen inquiry into notorious Grgory Villemin killing On 25 March handwriting experts identified Grgorys mother Christine as the likely author of the anonymous letters. In 1984, 4-year-old Grgory Villemin was playing on a pile of sand in the front garden of his parents home in Vosges a mountainous area in eastern France, near its border with Germany. Christine was finally cleared eight years later and all charges against her dropped. 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. Sarah had made Google searches before the crash, inquiring about Benadryl and drowning. There is no material proof, nothing, said one, Stephane Giuranna. El giro inesperado en el caso de Grgory Villemin, el nio de 4 aos His hands and feet were bound with rope and his face covered with a wool hat. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. On 16 October 1984, around 5:00 pm, Christine Villemin reported Grgory to police as missing after she noticed he was no longer playing in the Villemins front yard. She was accused by handwriting experts of having written the anonymous letters herself. Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin, centre and right, attend a court hearing following the murder of their four-year-old son. The investigation into the four-year-olds murder did not begin well. Villemin, then 25 and six months pregnant with her second child, spends several days in prison. The French public hopes that advances in genetic science could help identify the killer and give some closure to the family of Grgory. 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. All Rights Reserved. Three separate traces of DNA were found but not identified. Where Are Christine and Jean-Marie Villemin Now? - The Cinemaholic The pregnant woman collapsed after questioning and was taken to hospital, reportedly losing one of the twins she was carrying. Suspicious falls on members of Villemins own family, jealous of his happy life. 2023 BBC. 1,796, This story has been shared 1,701 times. Obsessed with Netflix? New limited series Who Killed Little Gregory? 'The Mandalorian' Season 3 Episode Guide: How Many Episodes of 'Mandalorian' Will There Be on Disney+? Then came the arrest of Muriel Bolle amid similar allegations. 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'. Grgory, my darling, dont go, come back! sobbed his mother Christine, then 24. A completely innocent boy was taken from outside his house. The motive was jealousy being financially less successful and having a mentally-retarded son, Laroche wanted revenge. 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.". Bolle herself went on to release a book in 2018 entitled Breaking the Silence. Answer: In June 2017, Bolle was also arrested on suspicion of involvement in the killing, but was later released. He was not there. After six months of no progress on the case, Gregory's father shoots and kills Laroche outside his home. Local reporters covering the case pointed out that none of those held on Wednesday was suspected of the boy's murder. The story is obviously quite somber, but the pacing of the documentary, pairing archival footage with interviews and voiceovers, is brisk and tightly produced. Crimes, Mystery And History Around The World. Grgory Villemin: The Unsolved Murder Haunting France | Bizarrepedia Your next true crime obsession has arrived on Netflix. 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. He was fragile and frail (also it is heard that he has a slight mental retardation, but theres not any source confirming this). 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. Last month, three members of the murdered boy's father's family were held by police on suspicion of being accomplices. Meanwhile, the police turned their focus to Gregory's mother, Christine, who was then heavily pregnant. 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 . Erotomania: When a Person Truly Believes That a Stranger Is in Love WithThem, Haunting Polaroid Photo of Kidnapped Children Found onAsphalt, Rodney Alcala: The Mother of All SerialKillers, The Unsolved Murder of Grgory Villemin: The Tragedy That Still Haunts France. Its an exhaustive documentary series in the spirit of the best true-crime works, and a crime on the level of those that are immediately familiar by name to anyone here Adam Walsh, Etan Patz, Jon-Benet Ramsey. Years of mistakes. Prosecutor Jean-Jacques Bosc said at the time that he is certain more than one person is responsible for Gregorys homicide. On 11 July 2017, the young and inexperienced magistrate Jean-Michel Lambert, who was initially taking care of the case, committed suicide. 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. - MARCEL MOCHET / AFP Key figure in the Grgory case, Monique Villemin, the grandmother of the little boy and mother of Jean-Marie Villemin, died on Sunday in a nursing home in the Vosges, after being contaminated by coronavirus, confirmed Jean-Marie Villemin's lawyer 20 minutes away. In this episode, we are headed to France to talk about the tragic story of the 1984 murder of 4-year-old Gregory Villemin. Four year-old Grgory Villemin , who was murdered near Docelles in the French department of Vosges on 16th October 1984. Lawyers for the accused couple say they strongly deny the allegations. Police think they have cracked the case when, after initially backing Laroche, Bolle changes her story and says she witnessed the kidnapping. 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. In a suicide note he said he feared that reopening the case would discredit his own findings years earlier. Some family members were unhappy about it. Laroche is arrested but Bolle is sent back to her family. 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. Its quite obvious that the killer must have been some jealous member of the family and the new investigations have put forth the new suspects every time from his family, but still, the whole story remains a riddle. on Netflix now. Jean-Michel Lambert, centre, taking part in the crime scene reconstruction after Grgory Villemin was found dead in the river in Lpanges-sur-Vologne. Most Pilot-y Line: I never stopped thinking about it, Etienne Sesmat the police inspector who investigated the case at the time notes, recounting a small detail from the case that still haunts him decades later. Gregory Villemin, a 4-year-old boy, was found dead in October 1984 with his feet and hands bound in the Vologne river, near his home in a village in eastern France. A few hours later, while the. It came to light that the childs parents had received anonymous letters and phone calls from a male threatening revenge against Gregorys father, Jean-Marie Villemin, in the years leading up to the murder. 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. 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. This is my revenge, you bastard.. 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. 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. The same night, his body was found 2.5 miles away in the Vologne River near Docelles. This is a well-made piece of television, not just a throwaway crime-channel program. New arrests made in relation to Gregory Villemin murder Weeks earlier new criminal analysis software called Anacrim had showed "chronological inconsistencies" in various testimonies. 1,282, This story has been shared 1,217 times. 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. But perhaps the most interesting development in the case came just two years ago. It was getting chilly. 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. Your money will not bring your son back. Days later another relative, Murielle Bolle, 15 at the time of the murder, was detained and similarly charged. Get notified of the best booming posts weekly. Who killed Grgory Villemin? | Mysteriesrunsolved Can Nigeria's election result be overturned? But it was closed in 2001, after the probe failed to yield any clues as to the identity of either the killer or the sender of the mysterious letters. Why are the worlds largest pyramids kept secret? Required fields are marked *. The anonymous phone-calls and poison-pen letters continued over the years, and the case was reopened first in 2000 and then again in 2008 in an attempt to identify the DNA on the letters. A little over a month later, the grieving father shot and killed his cousin as he was leaving for work. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. While her husband was in prison, Christine was charged with her sons murder after she was identified as the likely author of "The Raven" letters. Hours before the boy was discovered, his hands and feet tied, his uncle said he had received a phone call from someone claiming to have kidnapped him. I learned why. 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.