Just 40 years ago, the body of a four-year-old boy was found drowned and tied up in a small river in the Vosges in northeastern France. The so-called “little Grégory” affair begins and is still not closed. It continues to arouse great interest and fascinate an entire country.
Nearly 18,000 procedural documents, 42 volumes, seven investigating magistrates and an investigation still in progress. 40 years after the murder of Grégory Villemin, found drowned on October 16, 1984 in a river in the Vosges, the mystery remains unsolved.
“ Christine and Jean-Marie Guillemin [les parents de Grégory] live in the Paris suburbs, in a house deep in the woods. They have three children who are all in good situations and grandchildren now. However, they are still looking for the truth to know the name of the one who tied Grégory, who pulled the cap over his face and who threw him into the water. », confides Patricia Tourancheau, author in particular of Grégory: The complete story of the affair, published by Points.
Do it quickly
However, the affair got off to a flying start. When the body was discovered, an anonymous letter was addressed to the father by a “ crow », who has been harassing the family of Jean-Marie Villemin, 26 years old, and his wife Christine, 24 years old, for several years.
“ This letter is amazingexclaims Patricia Tourancheau. She said: “I hope you die of sorrow. It’s not your money that can give you back your son. This is my revenge. Poor bastard.” It is a revenge of filiation, of success. In fact, there are many members of this extended family in the Vologne valley and the only one who stood out was Jean-Marie Villemin, who became a foreman at the age of 21. He has a beautiful wife, a beautiful chalet. He moved away from these small villages where his parents, cousins, etc. live.. »
A situation that creates jealousy: “ The anonymous crow actually blames him for his success. [Mais] the threats stopped in 1983, almost 18 months before Grégory’s kidnapping. And when the crow reappears, it is to kidnap and kill Grégory “, she continues.
In the investigation, suspicion then turned towards the “ clan » Villemin. Under pressure from eager journalists, Jean-Michel Lambert, a 32-year-old investigating judge from Epinal who looks like a law student, wants to shine for his first position. Less than three weeks after Grégory’s death, Bernard Laroche, a cousin of the father, was charged. The culprit seems to have been discovered. So much so that Grégory’s father was convinced of this and killed him in March 1985, even though his cousin had been released a few weeks earlier.
Christine Villemin, wrongly suspected
The investigators then looked into another lead: that of Grégory’s mother, Christine Villemin. Indicted on July 5, 1985, her trial was ordered at the end of 1986. The Dijon Court of Appeal, to which the investigation was transferred, dismissed the case in her favor in 1993.
But during the years preceding this verdict, Christine Villemin was taken to task many times. The writer Marguerite Duras even published an article in the newspaper Release, “ Christine V., sublime, necessarily sublime », which implicitly recognizes Christine’s guilt. “ It’s scandalous what she went through.says Patricia Tourancheau indignantly. For eight years, she was designated as an infanticide mother, a witch, even though she had lost her child “.
“ The justice system was completely dismal. The investigating judge was incompetent,” summarizes Thierry Moser, historic lawyer in the case, who has defended the Villemin couple for 39 years. Judge Jean-Michel Lambert cannot answer: he committed suicide on July 11, 2017.
New expertise in progress
Today, the investigation is trying to rebound. Last March, new expertises were ordered: on DNA, but also on the “ voice frequency ”, so “ voice DNA », phone calls from the crow. This technique, still very avant-garde, will first require a feasibility study, and therefore time, but the DNA tests should give results. within five to six months », believes Me Moser. “ I’m reasonably optimistic “, he says.
“ There are nine DNAs, to which must be added DNA mixtures, which have not found an identification despite 410 confrontations with known DNAs », Explains Attorney General Philippe Astruc, refusing to comment further. Anyway, ” imagining that an expertise will suddenly cut the Gordian knot is illusory “, he said. “ It is an additional element to other elements », tempers the magistrate.
“ DNA can speak 40, 50 years later », Estimates Professor Christian Doutremepuich, founder of the Bordeaux laboratory specializing in unresolved cases. “ People were already working well 40 years ago. We knew how to preserve DNA », assures the one we nickname “ the pope of DNA » and who worked on the Grégory affair.
Bernard Laroche in the sights of justice
Today, the involvement of Bernard Laroche is mentioned by several sources. The Dijon Court of Appeal, which considers, in its 1993 decree, that there are “ very serious charges » that he had captured Gregory. The lawyers of the Villemin couple are also following the same lead: “ We think that Bernard Laroche kidnapped the child and his cronies killed him “.
To clearly establish the facts, “ we must continue », Estimates the Attorney General, Philippe Astruc. “ We owe it to a little boy, to parents “. “ There are still witnesses who are of this world. There are still scientific elements that can contribute to the case. Trying to discover the truth is never hard », he concludes.