Bernard Laroche

Passions

French homicide suspect, arrested on 5 November 1984 for the murder of his cousin's son, four-year-old Gregory Villemin. The boy had been found bound and drowned in the river Vologne on 16 October 1984. On 4 February 1985 the charges where dismissed and Bernard was set free. Not convinced of his innocence, Jean-Marie Villemin shot Bernard to death with a shotgun at Autmonzey on 29 March 1985. At the high-profile Villemin trial, it came out that the family was the target of a maleficent person making anonymous phone calls and letters. Judge Lambert charged Bernard, a cousin of the child's father, with the crime, following information given by his niece Muriel, and then released him a few weeks later. Thinking that his cousin was guilty of the murder, Jean-Marie Villemin took justice in his hands and killed Bernard Laroche. On the same day he surrendered and was jailed. Then Judge Lambert's investigation turned to Christine Villemin whom he arrested for the voluntary manslaughter of her son. The lawyers got her release in ten days. On 17 March 1987, Judge Maurice Simon took over the inquiry and set another trial date. On 3 February 1993, following the new investigation, the Court of appeals of Dijon exonerated Christine Villemin. On 3 November 1993, the trial of Jean-Marie Villemin opened in Dijon. After six weeks of painstaking procedure to correct the inconsistencies of the judicial system, Jean-Marie was sentenced to five years in jail with a one-year suspended sentence. Having already been detained for 33 months, he was released on 30 December 1993. Link to Wikipedia biography (French)