An individual was placed in police custody as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Mélodie, a young mother from Marseille. The suspect, who confessed to his murder, is said to be the victim’s lover.
It has been more than a month since young mother Mélodie Mendez Da Silva went missing in Marseille. Friday, December 15, an individual and his partner were placed in police custody, the prosecution said. The 40-year-old man was “in very close contact with the missing woman before the incident”. It would in fact be her lover, the press release from the prosecution specifies that he had a “tumultuous extra-marital relationship” with the victim. The individual admitted to having shot the 34-year-old young woman several times, but he nevertheless denies “any criminal intent and premeditation”, adds the prosecution.
The victim found about twenty kilometers from Marseille
The suspect revealed the location of the body to investigators while in custody. The young woman was found about twenty kilometers east of Marseille, at the Col de l’Espigoulier in the town of Gemenos (Bouches-du-Rhône), according to Le Parisien from corroborating sources. To investigators, he admitted to having shot the victim several times and confirmed that the weapon used was indeed the one found during the search. His arrest comes after the investigation collected several testimonies and telephone cross-references.
The prosecution requested the suspect be placed in pre-trial detention for “assassination”. His partner was also placed in police custody for “failure to report a crime” according to information from BFMTV.