A suicide with eleven wounds in the body and a slit throat: in Montpellier, the investigation that defies belief

L'autopsie a été effectuée mardi à l'institut de médecins légale. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Les policiers de la PJ sont confrontés à une affaire hors du commun, après la découverte samedi à Pérols du corps d'un quadragénaire, mort dans des circonstances qui laissent perplexes. 

The mystery continues to thicken in Montpellier, where the PJ police officers are faced with a disconcerting situation, after the discovery on Saturday January 20 of the body of a police officer. a 42-year-old man, died at his home, in his apartment in downtown Pérols.

The corpse initially showed several wounds in the abdomen, and another, deep, cut throat wound in the neck. But no trace of a struggle, break-in, or search of the premises was noted on site, and the forensic doctor who came to carry out the body removal did not rule out suicide, especially since the knife used was found near the body.

The pathologist cannot be categorical

The police therefore impatiently awaited the results of the autopsy, which was carried out on Tuesday at the institute of forensic medicine at Lapeyronie hospital. Problem: the results only increased their perplexity, according to the information provided to Midi Libre by Fabrice Bélargent, the prosecutor of the Republic of Montpellier.

Because the number of injuries is much higher than what they initially noticed. "The number of wounds (11) is however very significant, but the forensic doctor does not rule out a self-aggressive act, without being able to be categorical" explains the magistrate who specifies: "The autopsy is not conclusive, and in particular does not allow us to understand in what order the injuries were caused."< /p>

No murder investigation at this time

The investigation therefore still remains open for "search for the causes of death" and not for murder , despite the violence of this killing.

When questioned, a Montpellier forensic doctor confirmed that this type of act is nothing extraordinary. "We have cases like this several times a year, and the forensic pathologist is there to say whether it’s compatible or incompatible with suicide. Then, the final diagnosis is made by the investigator."

Becoming intolerant to pain

"For the pathologist, the criteria are the accessibility of the injuries, their position on the body, depending on whether the person is left-handed or right-handed, and the fact that there are marks of hesitation: for an attack, the blows are delivered frankly, whereas a suicidal person will start to cut himself, stop, then start again.

"It is also necessary to closely analyze the psychiatric state of the victim. People with schizophrenia can become intolerant of pain and do horrible things to themselves. 

Hence the difficulty posed to the investigators, who closely study the life of the missing person, an employee on sick leave, single, and depressed, in search of a possible conflict with a third party, who could explain such savagery.

"This type of investigation is very delicate. You have to be extremely rigorous" insists a source close to the matter.

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