Casefile True Crime - Case 246: Grégory Villemin (Part 1)

Episode Date: May 6, 2023

[Part 1 of 2] *** Content Warning: child victim *** The extended Villemin family lived in the Vosges region of north-eastern France. From 1981, several members of the family started to receive anonymous, threatening phone calls from a mysterious caller they eventually labelled The Crow. --- Narration – Anonymous Host Research & writing – Elsha McGill Creative direction – Milly Raso Production and music – Mike Migas and Andrew Joslyn This episode's sponsors: BetterHelp – Get 10% off your first month of professional counselling with a licensed therapist Subscribe for ad-free episodes and bonus content: Join Apple Premium Join Spotify Premium Join Patreon For all credits and sources please visit casefilepodcast.com/case-246-gregory-villemin-part-1

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and won't be suitable for all listeners. The small, sleepy village of Lepange-sur-Vallone lies in northeastern France towards the German border. In 1980, it was home to less than 1,000 inhabitants, many of whom came from families that lived in the area for generations. The quaint rural hamlet was typical of the region. Orange-tiled houses and evergreen forests dotted the grassy hillsides, with the Vallone River snaking through the valley. The main road offered little besides a school, news agency and a small selection of cafes and bakeries A majority of the townsfolk were employed at one of the local factories Suffice to say, not much happened in La Panche It was an ordinary village filled with ordinary working class people

In the early 1980s, phone lines were installed in the area for the first time. In July 1981, newlyweds Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin took advantage of this development and had a line installed to their newly built home. It had been an exciting time for the young couple, who were both aged in their early twenties. Christine had recently given birth to their first child, a son named Gregory. Jean-Marie secured a coveted position as foreman in a car upholstery factory, bringing a new level of financial stability to the young family.

They'd purchased a plot of land on the outskirts of La Panche and built a comfortable yet modest chalet-style home with plans to extend as their family grew. The future looked bright. One night, shortly after they'd had their new phone installed, it rang. Christine answered. All she could hear on the other line was heavy breathing. Then the line went dead. It happened again, and again. One silent anonymous call after the next placed at random times for several days. One night, Jean-Marie picked up. This time, he could hear a record playing.

It was the song We Are Thirsty by Belgian singer Gran Jojo. A giggling female voice sang along out of time to the upbeat song, which told the story of a member of the Foreign Legion's quest to find a beer. Still, the caller said nothing. A few nights later, the phone rang again. Another song played, but still no conversation. The hang-up calls continued for several months. More heavy breathing and long silences. Then, in November, mysterious caller for months. The couple lived in the neighbouring village of Aumonze, located 11 kilometres east of La Panche.

They'd raised their six children there while taking turns working shifts at the local textile factory. while taking turns working shifts at the local textile factory. Most of their children had married and fled the nest, except for their youngest son, who was only 12 years old. The others all still lived nearby and would get together on Sundays to catch up over a meal. The calls to Albert and Monique varied in length and content. Sometimes the caller would say nothing, other times they'd rant for up to half an hour. Often the calls were studded with sneers, vile language and threats. A majority of the time the caller was a man with a hoarse, muffled voice who was obviously trying to disguise his natural speech.

But the calls were occasionally made by a woman, or possibly a man speaking in a high-pitched voice. The caller eventually earned themselves the nickname of The Crow after the 1943 French film of the same name. In the movie, a mysterious rider terrorises a small town with anonymous letters that expose everyone's dark secrets. Although the identity of the Villemans Crow remained unknown, one thing was certain. This wasn't some random stranger. The Crow had intimate knowledge of the Villemarne family that only an insider could be privy to. They knew where each family member lived, who they were married to, where they worked, and how they spent their days. They knew whenever something new happened within the family and of the changing dynamics and conflicts within. Whoever the crow was,

they were watching the Villemarne family closely. Their motivation wasn't clear, but there were a couple of elements they were particularly fixated on. Albert and Monique's eldest child, Jackie, had been born out of wedlock. He wasn't Albert's biological child at all, but the result of a brief fling Monique had just before their marriage. Albert had married Monique to save her the shame and stigma of being an unwed mother. Regardless, Albert never accepted Jackie as his son, and he was mostly raised by his maternal grandparents. It had been a sore spot within the family, especially for Jackie, who only learned the truth about his background at the age of 17.

The Crow continually honed in on this, referring to, quote, the bastard and insinuating there could be more bastard children among them. The Crow appeared sympathetic towards Jackie and often came to his defence. Michel Villemarne was the second eldest son of the clan. He was illiterate, poorly spoken, and had low self-esteem. The Crow complained that Michelle was treated badly. In contrast, the Crow had a particular disdain for Jean-Marie. His recent promotion to foreman was a sore spot for some family members,

who envied that Jean-Marie had managed to rise above their working class ranks. that Jean-Marie had managed to rise above their working class ranks. The Crow spitefully referred to Jean-Marie as boss. Their dislike for Jean-Marie was borderline obsessive. The Crow knew how proud Albert and Monique were of their middle son, and he continuously encouraged them to cut all ties with Jean-Marie and his family. The Crow seemed determined to drive a wedge between members of the Villemain family and turn them against one another. And it worked.

Conflicts began flaring up among the siblings, parents, and extended relatives as allegations arose as to who among them was behind the Crow. The extended Vilmang clan had no shortage of dark family secrets, and the Crow wasn't afraid to use this information against them. Albert's father had hanged himself when Albert was only 12 years old. The Crow constantly encouraged Albert to do the same. Christine Villemin was home alone with baby Gregory when the phone rang on November 22 1981. Jean-Marie was working the night shift. It was the first time Christine

heard the hoarse voice of the crow for herself. The mystery caller began unleashing a barrage of insults. Christine quickly hung up. This enraged the crow. He immediately called back and the insults worsened. He threatened violence, making it clear he knew exactly where Christine lived and what her movements were like. Christine asked the caller what she ever did to deserve this harassment. The crow responded, It's not you. It's your old man. Later that night, Christine heard a rattling noise at her front door. She went to investigate, only to discover that a latch on the door had been broken

and a window pane had been smashed. Christine bundled Gregory up and rushed to her next-door neighbour's house. After that, she became consumed by fear. Jean-Marie bought a.22 calibre rifle for himself and a pistol for Christine. He reinforced all of the windows of their home with shutters. He reinforced all of the windows of their home with shutters. Christine refused to stay alone in the house at night. Whenever Jean-Marie worked nights, she took Gregory to stay at her mother's. Meanwhile, the calls continued at Albert and Monique's house. The crow told them, I broke down the boss's door. His wife was scared.

The Villemans weren't the type of people to involve law enforcement. Like many others in the region, they were old school and somewhat stubborn. They believed that conflicts should be sorted out between those involved. They believed that conflicts should be sorted out between those involved. Instead, Albert and Monique started recording the time, date and content of each phone call in a notebook. Afraid they too would be physically targeted, Albert installed car mirrors throughout their property. The Crow immediately told Albert that he knew about the mirrors. Had a family member told them, or had the Crow seen it for themselves?

The surveillance was constant. One July day in 1982, Monique and Albert went for a stroll with their son Gilbert and his wife. Upon their return home, the phone rang. It was the all-too-familiar voice of the crow. Did you have a nice walk? he asked. In September 1982, Gilbert was at work when a woman called to let him know that his mother had been in a terrible accident. Gilbert rushed to his parents' house, only to find that Monique was completely unharmed and oblivious to any such call. There had been no accident. As soon as Gilbert left, Albert and Monique's phone rang. It was the crow, laughing about how stupid and

gullible Gilbert had been. On Tuesday November 30 1982, the phone rang incessantly at Albert and Monique's house. The crow racked up a grand total of 27 calls. The couple had finally reached their limit. They reported the caller to the local police and an investigation was launched. Determining the identity of the Crow was no easy feat. Phone records at the time noted the amount of calls made from a landline, but didn't specify which local numbers had been dialed. There was heightened activity on the phone accounts of several members of the Villemant family during peak times when the crow was active. This in and of itself wasn't necessarily suspicious. Each call from the crow provoked other calls

within the family, making it an ongoing chain reaction. Despite the different dynamics within the family, no one stood out as a clear suspect. The crow had insinuated the identity of various individuals, but this was likely an intentional way to deflect from the truth. Given that the crow was sympathetic towards Jackie, there were suspicions that Jackie himself was behind the calls. Jackie's wife, Lillian, had an incredibly strange relationship with the Villemans, so it made sense that she could have been the female accomplice. She had a relationship with the Villemans, so it made sense that she could have been the female accomplice. She had also been at Albert's home when he installed the mirrors.

Lillian's parents disliked the Villemans and some wondered whether Lillian was feeding them information. Could Lillian be the mastermind behind the crow and her father the one executing the calls? Tensions among the family escalated. Sunday get-togethers became hostile and unpleasant. Albert and Jean-Marie were convinced that Jackie was the crow. When confronted with this accusation, Jackie strongly denied it. He was so offended that he stopped seeing his family altogether. The police thought the crow could possibly be identified through a process of elimination. The next time the crow rang, the recipient was advised to call the person they suspected to be responsible. Were they standing by the phone? Could they notice any similarities in the voice? On Monday December 13 1982, the Crow called Albert and Monique to announce,

I'm going to La Ponge to hurt Christine. The next morning, Jean-Marie discovered that the tyres on his car had been slashed. When Albert found out, his paranoia grew. He grabbed his rifle and began scouring his property. The crow called shortly after, laughing at Albert for his actions, which he seemed to have observed. The relentless calls continued into 1983, with the Crow targeting Albert and Monique a total of 17 times in one day. The female Crow began to appear more and more frequently.

She could often be heard in the background of the calls, and sometimes made the calls herself. On one occasion, she called a funeral home and declared that Albert Villemarne was dead. Staff showed up at the Villemarne's home prepared to collect a corpse. By this point, all four of the adult Villemain sons, Jackie, Michel, Jean-Marie and Gilbert, had received calls from the Crow As had their wives Others had witnessed these calls take place Michel was the only one who had been alone every time he was contacted by the crow. He claimed the crow had threatened,

I know what time you leave for work, when your wife comes home, and when your children are alone. When Monique answered the calls, the crow mostly remained silent. In early 1983, she began encouraging him to talk, hoping to diminish some of his power. That's when the death threat started. Referring to Jean-Marie, the crow told Monique,

I'm going to kill him. I already scared his wife. I will do it again soon. Christine often unplugged her phone to avoid the harassment. The crow seemed to be aware of this. One night he called Monique and said, I watch her. I know she is alone at home. She can unplug her phone, but maybe I'll come this evening. Monique tried not to act perturbed. She insinuated they'd discover the crow's identity eventually. He responded, You assholes, you will never get me. Besides, I can't be touched. One day, the female crow called Christine at work, pretending that her husband had been in an accident. On another occasion, she called the fire department, claiming that Albert Villemarne had hanged himself.

claiming that Albert Villemin had hanged himself. By Friday March 4 1983, the Crow had been harassing the Villemin family for over a year and a half. That day, Jean-Marie noticed an envelope tucked into the window shutters on his house. It was addressed to him. Inside was a single-page note written in block capital letters. I will kill the Villemain family. Three weeks went by before the Crow made contact again. This time, Jean-Marie managed to record the call as the Crow made cryptic revelations about there being, quote, another bastard in the family.

The clearer of the two voices belongs to Jean-Marie Villemin. The softer, distorted voice is the crow.... A few weeks later, a woman called Jean-Marie's work, asking to speak with him. By the time Jean-Marie answered, the crow was on the line, a female's voice audible in the background. a female's voice audible in the background. Although the Crow often talked to others about his hatred for Jean-Marie, he rarely spoke to Jean-Marie himself. Jean-Marie tried to act cool and casual. If he didn't react, maybe he could undermine the harasser.

They spoke on the phone for 40 minutes. The Crow told Jean-Marie that his brother Jackie wasn't the only illegitimate child amongst the siblings. He claimed that Monique was keeping a secret from the whole family. She had allegedly continued a relationship with Jackie's father after she married Albert and he'd impregnated her for a second time. Jean-Marie tried to shrug things off, asking for more information as proof. His composure seemed to aggravate the crow. The crow threatened to burn down Jean-Marie's house. He responded, Go ahead, I'll just build another one. threatened to burn down Jean-Marie's house. He responded,

Go ahead, I'll just build another one. The Crow then threatened to rape Christine. Jean-Marie continued to remain calm, saying, I don't care. The Crow described Jean-Marie and Christine's house, making it clear he knew exactly what the interior looked like and what kind of furniture they had. I'll go after your kid, he said. Don't leave him lying around. I'm watching him with binoculars. If I find him outside, I'll take him away. Jean-Marie could no longer maintain his composure. His son Gregory was his life. He snapped back,

''You bastard. If you touch my kid, you're a dead man.'' The police had agreed to set up wiretaps on Albert and Monique's telephone. Monique made the mistake of telling some family members about this. The crow found out, and the call stopped. On Wednesday April 27 1983, an envelope arrived in Albert and Monique's letterbox. Written in the same block letters as the one sent to their son, the letter read, If you want me to stop, let me offer you a solution. Don't visit the boss anymore. Cut him off entirely. If you don't, I will execute the threats I made to the boss and his little family.

Jackie and his family have been through enough. It's the boss's turn to be considered a bastard. He will console himself with his money. You choose. Life or death. Three weeks later, Albert was at work when one of his colleagues told him there was a woman on the phone asking to speak with him. Albert picked up the receiver. The voice of the male crow said,

You will hang yourself. The next day, another letter arrived at Albert and Monique's home. This one was much longer than the others and written in scrawling cursive. I see nothing has changed, it began. The boss is still coming. It went on to defend Jackie before addressing Albert directly. You old man, you look very ill to me. I'm quitting and you'll never know who pissed you off for two years. You may not hang yourself but I don't care because my revenge has been made. I hate you so much that I will spit on your grave the day you die. This is my last letter and you will hear no more from me.

You will wonder who I was, but you will never find out. Goodbye, my dear idiots. Over a year went by with no further word from the mysterious crow. Life returned to normal. Christine Villemarne worked as a seamstress at a local clothing factory. Tuesday October 16 1984 was a typical workday for the 24-year-old. She knocked off at around 4.53pm and jumped into her car, a black Renault 5. Four-year-old Gregory was just around the corner at his nanny's house. Christine picked him up, but she couldn't stay to chat as she had a load of clothes that needed ironing.

The mother and son arrived home just after five o'clock. Gregory wanted to play outside. There was a pile of gravel in the driveway that he liked to use as a racetrack for his toy cars. Although it was a relatively warm autumn day, Gregory was recovering from a cold, so Christine made him put on a woolen hat first. She then went to a room towards the back of their house where the shutters were drawn. She turned the radio up and got stuck into the ironing. By the time Christine finished, it was about 5.30. She went outside to tell Gregory it was time to come indoors.

His toy car sat on the gravel pile, but Gregory himself was nowhere to be seen. Christine called out her son's name. There was no response. She started searching around the yard, but couldn't find Gregory anywhere. She went back inside in case Gregory was hiding from her, but the house was empty. She approached one of her neighbours who was sweeping outside. He hadn't seen Gregory either, nor had his wife who was sewing inside. Another neighbour was tending to their cows in the nearby pasture, but they hadn't noticed the young boy.

Panic washed over Christine. She got into her reno and sped back to her nanny's house on the off chance Gregory had wandered back there. He hadn't. Christine drove to the home of one of Gregory's friends in case he'd gone there to play. But Gregory wasn't anywhere to be seen. Meanwhile, at 5.32pm, the phone rang at the house of Jean-Marie's brother, Michel. He lived next door to their parents in Ormondsey and was watching TV at the time. Michel immediately recognised the hoarse voice on the other line.

This time it sounded muffled, as though the caller had covered the mouthpiece with a handkerchief. that sounded muffled as though the caller had covered the mouthpiece with a handkerchief. I'm calling you because there is no answer next door, the crow said. I took revenge on the boss and kidnapped his son. I strangled him and threw him in the vallone. His mother is looking for him, but she won't find him. My revenge is done. Casefile will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. Monique and Albert Villemin were tracked down nearby and informed of the call from the crow. Monique was horrified.

The crow had made many threats over the years, but this one was unusually specific. Monique immediately called her daughter-in-law Christine to warn her. There was no answer. Christine was still outside, desperately searching for Gregory. Instead, Monique called her son Jean-Marie at work, followed by the local police. Jean-Marie raced home, went inside, and grabbed his gun. For a long time, he'd been convinced that Lillian's parents, Roger and Paulette Jaquel, were behind the crow. It made sense given the crow's peculiar concern for Jackie. Jean-Marie rushed over to the Jaquelels' home, certain he would find his son there. When he arrived, he saw two vehicles which he thought were police cars parked outside.

He backed away. A search party quickly gathered. Citizens and police scoured the woods surrounding Lepange on the lookout for the four-year-old with long curly brown hair. He was dressed in a blue jacket, dark green trousers and a blue woolen cap. The hours ticked by, the light giving way to night. Still, there was no sign of Gregory. night. Still, there was no sign of Gregory. Six kilometres downstream from La Pange was the small village of Doselle. Firefighters there searched the Vallone River. At 9.15pm, they came to a small bend. Just ten metres past a small footbridge, they noticed something bobbing in the water against a weir. They got closer. It was Gregory Villemarne. A firefighter jumped in the river to retrieve Gregory's lifeless body. The young boy was obviously deceased. He was fully clothed,

his wrists and ankles bound together with thin pieces of robe. His woolen hat had been pulled over his face and was loosely secured around his neck with the same type of robe. The firefighters removed Gregory's hat. There were no signs of violence. On the contrary, they were struck by how serene and unblemished he looked, as though he was in a peaceful sleep. Gregory hadn't been strangled like the crow said. In fact, the forensic pathologist who conducted his autopsy couldn't find any signs that a struggle had taken place at all. There were no bruises on Gregory's body, nor had the rope left any marks on his skin. His clothes were clean and there was no evidence of sexual assault.

A small amount of water found in Gregory's distended lungs and foam in the corners of his mouth indicated his cause of death to be drowning. Due to the cold temperature of the water, forensic pathologists concluded the young boy would have stopped breathing within moments of being submerged. There were a multitude of locations between La Pange and Doselle where the killer could have dumped Gregory's body into the river. The day after Gregory was killed, tyre tracks and the imprints of a woman's shoe had been found in the riverbank at a clearing in the village of Desimone. This was 2.3 kilometres from the Villemans' home and several kilometres upstream from Doselle. Police obtained a mannequin with similar proportions to the four-year-old. They visited the location in Desimon and threw it into the water. By the time the mannequin reached Doselle, it had passed through various bends, branches, rocks, and other obstacles.

Given that Gregory's clothing hadn't been torn and his body showed no scratches or bruises, it was deemed impossible that he'd travelled that far downstream. The mannequin was thrown from various other locations, including behind a fire station right near the centre of Doselle. The station was mere metres from the location where Gregory had been found. Police concluded that this was most likely the place from which his small body had been thrown. Gregory's parents, Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin, were inconsolable. Little Gregory had been the light of their lives. He was a delightful, intelligent child, full of happiness and energy. He loved to dance, especially to the music of Michael Jackson. Cheeky, with a contagious laugh, Gregory got a great thrill out of playing pranks on his parents.

But for all his mischief, he was equally tender and affectionate. He was particularly fond of his stuffed monkey, Kiki, who he took with him everywhere. Gregory loved hugs and kisses and would sneak into his parents' bed on weekends to enjoy the extra long cuddles. Complicating de Villemain's crippling grief was the unbelievable reality that someone within their own family could do something so cruel. Who could hate them enough to take the life of their only child? Jean-Marie cast suspicion on his brother's in-laws, Roger and Paulette Jaquel, and the couple were taken into custody. They both had airtight alibis and were promptly ruled out.

As Jean-Marie and Christine struggled to comprehend what was happening, an envelope arrived in their mailbox the day after Gregory's death. It was addressed to Jean-Marie using swirling cursive. Inside was a short, anonymous letter. It read, short, anonymous letter. It read, I hope that you die of grief, boss. Your money can't give you back your son. Here's my revenge, you bastard. The envelope was postmarked 5.15pm on Tuesday October 16, the day Gregory was killed.

It had been sent from the La Pange post office, which was 1.3 kilometres north of the Villemans' home. Postal workers said the last mail collection occurred around 5.20pm, but the mailbox could have been emptied any time between 1.55 and 5.20pm that day. Given that Gregory was abducted sometime between 5.05 and 5.30pm, this presented a few possibilities. 1. The killer had sent the letter before speeding to the Villemans' house to snatch Gregory. 2. The killer already had Gregory with them when they posted the letter. Or 3. They hadn't acted alone. It seemed unlikely that the killer would have sent the letter prior to the kidnapping.

Had they done so, they would have had to have full confidence that the abduction was going ahead. How could they be sure Gregory would be playing outside? What if the opportunity to abduct him never arose? There were simply too many variables. But if they were working with an accomplice, this meant someone else could have taken care of the mail drop once the boy was taken. The task of overseeing the investigation was handed to local magistrate, 33-year-old Judge Jean-Michel Lambert. Gregory's murder was expected to be an open and shut case. All police had to do was identify the crow and they'd have the killer. They knew the caller came from within the Villemarne

family, which narrowed down the suspect list significantly. But it wasn't as simple as it seemed. Gregory's grandmother, Monique Villemin, was one of 13 siblings alone. All up, the extended family consisted of over 140 individuals, and previous investigations to identify the caller had proved fruitless. During the Crow's peak time of activity, several recipients had managed to record the calls But the recordings weren't of particularly high quality The crow had made obvious attempts to disguise their voice, speaking in a hoarse, raspy tone Given the muffled sound, it was likely they'd covered the receiver with a handkerchief or piece of fabric. As it stood, nobody recognised the caller's voice. Police began questioning relatives of the Villemain family and verifying alibis.

They gathered handwriting samples to compare against the first and final letters sent to Jean-Marie. One was in block capitals, the other in cursive script. Individuals were required to write the message from the last letter with both their left and right hands. The samples were then sent to a handwriting expert for analysis. With so many relatives, it was a slow-moving process. Although Jean-Marie and Christine lived in a quiet spot on the outskirts of La Pange, it wasn't isolated. Several residents lived nearby and had been home or in the area at the time Gregory was abducted. It had still been broad daylight.

One local man had been walking his dog near the Villemans' property, but he hadn't seen any cars drive by or noticed anything of interest. Nor had any of the Villemans' neighbours. They were aware of the ongoing harassment from the Crow. Had they witnessed any suspicious activity near the property, they said they would have reported it. A man who lived further down the road recalled hearing a car drive up the hill at around 5.05pm, but he never heard it drive back down again. He never saw it, so couldn't vouch for the colour or model. In the days leading up to the crime, several townsfolk had noticed an

unfamiliar green car circulating the village. At around 2pm on the day Gregory was taken, one man recalled seeing a beige-coloured van parked near the woods overlooking the Villemans' home. A man and woman were inside. He didn't get a good look at them, but they appeared to have something hanging around their necks, possibly binoculars or a camera. This witness saw the same car driving towards Doselle, the village where Gregory's body was found, at 4.45pm. No other cars were seen driving between La Pange and Doselle during this key time frame. Hundreds of houses and several busy factories overlooked the Vallone River between the two villages. Dozens of people had spent time near the water on the night Gregory died, yet no one had witnessed anything out of the ordinary.

One woman had crossed the footbridge in Dosell at around 5.30. She recalled looking into the river and noticing what she thought was a garbage bag floating in the water. In hindsight, she wondered whether it could have been Gregory's body. The forensic pathologist deemed this unlikely. Although the exact time of death couldn't be confirmed, they believed Gregory had likely died sometime around 6pm. It was possible he might not have been thrown into the river until hours after he was killed. One local had witnessed a middle-aged man hanging around the Lepange post office around 5pm on October 15 and 16. He had brown curly hair, a strong build, and wore glasses. On October 22, six days after Gregory's death, the police released a composite sketch of

this suspect, asking anyone who recognised the man to come forward. A local man voluntarily presented himself to police. He identified himself as the one in the sketch. He claimed he'd only been at the post office because he was waiting for a lift to work from a friend. Police confirmed this to be true, and the man and sketch were eliminated from the investigation. The press quickly picked up on the case, and journalists from all over France flocked to La Panche. The sleepy village instantly became a hive of activity. Journalists vied for the Villemans' attention, interviewing family members all over town in the hopes of unveiling some salacious details. If the Villemans were concealing any secrets, every media outlet wanted to be the first to break the story. Before long, more than 130 journalists stationed themselves around town.

Lepange and Ormondzay were traditional villages. Residents were mostly private and shared the Villemans mentality that family conflicts should be sorted out within one's family. Therefore, the presence of the media wasn't particularly well received. When journalists poked around for information, they were often told to mind their own business. Others divulged gossip and rumours about the family that the press were quick to spread. One particularly salacious detail was that Gregory's grandmother had a history of incest in her family. Another was that Gregory's grandfather, Albert, had been raised in a broken home. When he was just a baby, his mother hit his three-year-old brother who suffered a fatal head wound. Albert's mother served time in prison. Upon her

release, she cheated on her husband, which became the catalyst for him ending his own life when Albert was just 12 years old. The press were quick to paint the Villemans as a lower class and socially marginalised bunch of hillbillies plagued by dark secrets. In reality, regardless of their sullied background, they were a relatively normal working-class family typical of the area. On Saturday October 20, Gregory Villemans' funeral was held at the L Panche Cemetery. Hundreds of mourners gathered, while members of the press hungrily snapped photographs of the bereaved family.

Police believed Gregory's killer was among the crowd and were on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour. It was a sombre affair, with emotions running high. Gregory's small body was carried out in a child-sized coffin, his beloved stuffed monkey Kiki to be buried by his side. His mother Christine clung to her husband as they shakily made their way through the procession. As Gregory's coffin was lowered to the ground, Christine wailed in despair. Gregory, my baby, why did they do this to you? Gregory, come back. It all became too much for Christine, who collapsed. Loved ones hurried to carry her unconscious body away as photographers eagerly

captured the drama. On Monday October 22, six days after Gregory's death, the police received an unprompted phone call from a local woman named Marie-Ange Laroche. She had married into the Villemin family and harboured some suspicions of her own. Marie-Ange urged the police to look into Jean-Marie's half-brother, Jackie. She believed that Jackie and his wife, Lillian, were behind the crow. Police questioned Jackie, but he had an airtight alibi for the day of Gregory's murder. Unbeknown to the rest of his family, Jackie's wife, Lillian, had actually received a call from the crow seven months earlier in March of 1984. The crow had spoken of his resentment for Jean-Marie and his plan to

cast suspicion against Lillian and her father. Once again, he ranted about Jackie's illegitimate status and the alleged infidelities of his mother, Monique. Lillian had recorded the call and provided it as proof of her and her husband's innocence Police believed it to be genuine Jackie and Lillian Villemain were not the Crow Police found the accusation levelled against the couple by Marie-Ange Laroche unusual It was merely based on the time Jackie had left his house on the morning of the crime. It had nothing to do with anything. They also found it strange that Marie-Ange called the police from a public telephone instead of her own home.

Perhaps she didn't want someone in her house to hear. of her own home. Perhaps she didn't want someone in her house to hear. Marie Arnge was summoned to the police station to provide a statement. She explained that she'd called from a public phone so that she wouldn't wake her husband, who was sleeping in preparation for a night shift. It was he who suggested that she contact authorities. In addition to Jackie and Liliane, Marie-Ange implicated some distant relatives of the Villemans, married couple Chantal and Daniel Ollard.

Police visited Chantal and Daniel to see if Marie-Ange's allegations held any weight. They conducted a search of the couple's home, but found nothing to link them to the crime. Chantel and Daniel were taken into custody for questioning but quickly ruled out of the investigation. When asked where she was on the afternoon Gregory Villemin was killed, Marie-Ange Laroche said she'd been at work. Her alibi checked out, but she'd been off work sick since October 18, two days after Gregory's death. Police found this curious. Everything about her unsolicited statement had them asking

questions. Was it possible that Marie Ange was casting blame on other members of the family to detract attention from her own? Police soon visited Marie Ange Laroche's home in Ormondzay to question her husband, 29-year-old Bernard Laroche. Bernard was a cousin of Jean-Marie Villemin. The two had grown up together, but they'd drifted apart over the years. Yet, they lived somewhat parallel lives. somewhat parallel lives. Both worked as factory foremen in different organisations, and both had four-year-old sons born just ten days apart. Although they didn't talk much anymore,

Bernard maintained a close friendship with Jean-Marie's brother, Michel. The two considered each other best friends and saw each other regularly. Bernard told police that on the day Gregory was abducted, he'd spent most of the day with his aunt, Louisette Jacob. She lived just 200 metres from the La Roche's home. In the afternoon, Bernard chopped wood. He and his four-year-old son, Sebastian, then visited Michelle Wilman at his home around the corner. At 4.30pm, they returned to Aunt Louisette's. Bernard had arranged to meet a friend there so they could go buy some wine together, but the friend never arrived. Instead, Bernard drove to his friend's house, but he wasn't there either.

Bernard returned to his aunt's house at around 5.30pm. He hung around for about 15 minutes before driving to the supermarket to buy the wine. At this point, it was roughly 6pm. He bought the wine, then headed to the nearby hotel to pick up some money he'd won on a recent bet. He then returned to Aunt Louisette's for dinner before leaving to work the night shift at around 8.45pm. Bernard claimed he didn't hear about Gregory Villemain's murder until the following morning. When asked to provide a handwriting sample, Bernard was reluctant. It was only after insistence from Marie Ange that he finally obliged. He was then free to leave. Police reflected on Bernard's movements from the day in question.

Curiously, there was only a 45-minute window that was unaccounted for, between 4.45 and 5.30pm. The same time that Gregory was abducted. Case File will be back shortly. Thank you for supporting us by listening to this episode's sponsors. Thank you for listening to this episode's ads. By supporting our sponsors, you support Casefile to continue to deliver quality content. Michelle Cornelie owned a cafe in Doselle, not far from where Gregory's body was found. On the afternoon that the boy went missing, Mr Cornelie had noticed a strange man sitting in his establishment. He'd been there between 4.35 and 4.40pm and again between 5 and 5.15pm.

He looked nervous and kept glancing at both his watch and the cafe's clock. The man looked to be aged in his late 20s or early 30s. He had a thick mop of brown hair and a thick brown moustache that came to the corners of his mouth. Another witness had spotted a similar looking man lurking around Gregory's school the day of and before the crime. Only this one had a thicker moustache that dropped onto his chin and was driving a green car. Around 5pm on October 16, this witness spotted the same man near the La Pange garbage dump just a short distance from Gregory's home. Both Mr Cornelie and the school witness had helped police create a composite sketch of this man.

There was no denying the uncanny resemblance to Bernard Laroche. Bernard also drove a metallic greenish-grey Peugeot 305. A car of similar colour had been seen circling La Pange in the days leading up to Gregory's abduction. A team of handwriting experts were tasked with comparing the letters from the crow to the handwriting samples provided by numerous family members. They announced their cursory findings, stating that the writing on the final letter from the crow matched that of Bernard Laroche. They'd also discovered something else of interest, handwriting impressions from another piece of paper. One of the handwriting experts highlighted the imprint with a special toner and placed the piece of paper against a grazing light.

At the bottom of the paper, two letters were clearly visible, B and L. The initials were superimposed against Bernard LaRoche's signature. There were undeniable similarities. The team wanted more time to conduct tests and confirm for sure, but for the police, this was all they needed to hear. The following day, they went to the La Roche residence and placed Bernard under arrest. His wife, Marie Arnch, was detained as a witness. A search of the La Roche home uncovered a record of the Grand Jojo song We Are Thirsty, a song which the crow had played to the Vilmars. A telescope was also found. The La Roche's house was positioned on a hill,

with views towards the homes of Gregory's grandparents Albert and Monique, and Gregory's uncle Michel. It was possible Bernard had watched their comings and goings with this telescope and used this information to taunt them with. Bernard claimed he didn't need a telescope to see Albert and Monique's house, and that even with one, Michelle's house still wasn't visible. According to Bernard, his father had given him the telescope 15 years prior, and it hadn't been used for some time. Bernard's father, Marcel, had died in June 1982, a little over two and a half years before Gregory

was killed. In the search, police found a note Marcel had written that claimed, Albert is blackmailing me. They wondered if Bernard could be motivated to seek revenge on the Villemarne family on behalf of his father, to whom he was very close. But Bernard said he'd found the note after his father's death. He claimed it didn't relate to Albert Villemarne, but to his maternal uncle, Albert Jacob. Wilman, but to his maternal uncle, Albert Jacob. Bernard strongly denied having anything to do with Gregory Wilman's death. An officer asked if he'd ever sent threatening letters to the Wilman family. Bernard responded, never. I have nothing against them. Think, why would I do that? Tell me, why in the end? It was a legitimate question. Although the circumstantial evidence was stacking up against

Bernard Laroche, police had yet to identify a compelling motive. police had yet to identify a compelling motive. No one in the family had previously suspected Bernard of being the Crow. He was very close with Gregory's uncle, Michelle, and maintained good relations with the family overall. He wasn't known to be an aggressive or shady person and remained impartial to any family conflicts. Upon reflection, these factors actually worked against him. Bernard saw Michelle several times a week and was privy to all that was going on in the Villemans'

lives. He lived close to Gregory's grandparents and was present at family gatherings. This not only meant he had access to the information divulged by the Crow, he was also close enough to witness the impact of the Crow's ongoing harassment. The LaRoche family had a phone line installed in 1981, coinciding with the calls to Jean-Marie and Christine Villemin. Their house also had a staircase. During several of the Crow's phone calls, several recipients thought they could hear someone climbing steps in the background. Criminal profilers believed the Crow likely presented themselves to the world as pleasant and somewhat withdrawn. They would avoid drawing attention to themselves by being amicable and friendly. Behind closed doors, it was a different story. The crow was likely driven by hate,

jealousy, and resentment. Bernard had most of the things that his cousin, Jean-Marie Villemin, had, but nothing came quite as easy. Bernard's mother had died shortly after giving birth. He and his father went to live with his maternal grandparents. Jean-Marie, on the other hand, had enjoyed a relatively normal childhood, surrounded by his parents and siblings. It had taken Bernard six years of hard work and study to prove himself worthy of the position of factory foreman, and not until his late twenties. In contrast, Jean-Marie's foreman role had been handed to him at a young age without significant effort or any qualifications. His role also paid better. Bernard's marriage to Marie-Ange had been marred with arguments and accusations of infidelity

Jean-Marie's marriage to Christine was harmonious and solid Even fatherhood had presented Bernard with a unique challenge His son, Sebastian, had been born with a large cyst on his left temple. It was surgically removed but had to be constantly drained by a tube behind his ear. Because of this, Sebastian required constant supervision. Little Gregory Villemarne, on the other hand, had been the very picture of good health. hand, had been the very picture of good health. Christine Villemin recalled that Bernard had tried to hit on her at a family wedding several years prior. Perhaps he'd never recovered from the sting of the rejection and resented that Christine had chosen Jean-Marie over him.

De Croo had been fixated on Jackie Villne's illegitimate status within the family. He had alleged there was another, quote, bastard child among them. Rumours spread that Bernard could have in fact been Albert Villemarne's biological son. If Bernard was suspicious of this, it could explain his resentment towards Albert. Perhaps he begrudged the fact that Albert had taken responsibility for Jackie, but not for his own flesh and blood. Bernard's close friendship with Michel Villemin was also significant. Michel was known to be immature and naive. Michel was known to be immature and naive. He harboured unhealthy jealousy towards people he viewed as above him, in particular his brother, Jean-Marie.

Inferiority was a real soft spot for Michel, and his fits of envy had previously caused many conflicts within the family. Shortly before Gregory's death, Michel Villemin and his wife had visited Jean-Marie and Christine's home. The couple had showed off their new leather lounge suite and talked about their plans to extend their house. It was highly likely that Michel told Bernard about this visit. If Bernard Laroche harboured intense feelings of jealousy and inadequacy towards Jean-Marie, investigators believed this could have been enough to finally push him over the edge. Shortly after Gregory's death, Bernard had told journalist Jean Caire from Paris Match magazine, "...they got what they deserved. They've paid for what they've done. Bernard Laroche maintained his story about going to find his friend during the crucial time period

on Tuesday October 16. He said that when he returned to his aunt Louisette's house at around 5.30pm, his sister-in-law Muriel Boll was there watching television. Police questioned Muriel. The 15-year-old high school student had recently moved in with the LaRoches to help take care of their son. She confirmed that on the afternoon of October 16 she'd taken the bus home from school. Muriel went to her aunt Louisette's house at around 5.20pm. Bernard Laroche was already there. He was sitting in the kitchen with his son in his lap, watching television. Given that Gregory Villemin had been abducted sometime after 5.03pm, this meant Bernard wouldn't have had enough time to pull off the crime. With his alibi verified,

police had no choice but to let him go. However, investigators reviewing the statements soon noticed a discrepancy. Bernard said when he'd arrived at Louisette's house, Muriel was there watching television. However, Muriel gave the reverse. She said that Bernard was already there when she arrived after school. Something wasn't right. to school. Something wasn't right. Muriel had told police that her usual bus driver dropped her home on the afternoon in question. Police made inquiries around Muriel's high school and discovered that the usual driver hadn't been working that day. Several of Muriel's classmates recalled that she hadn't been on the bus at all.

Muriel had a distinct head of curly red hair and a face full of freckles, so her absence was easily noted. One friend recalled seeing Muriel leave school in a khaki green vehicle that matched the description of Bernard LaRoche's Peugeot. Police confronted Muriel with this discrepancy. It didn't take long for her to crack. She admitted she'd lied about catching the bus home. According to Muriel, when she finished school on October 16, Bernard was waiting out the front in his car. His son Sebastian was with him. Bernard called Muriel over. It was the first time he had ever

picked Muriel up from school. She assumed it was because he needed someone to babysit Sebastian. to babysit Sebastian. She hopped in. Bernard drove them to La Panche. Muriel wasn't familiar with the area. Her parents didn't have a car, so she didn't know the surrounding region well. They drove up a hill and Bernard parked on the side of the road. Muriel could see a white house with a red roof. Bernard got out but didn't explain why. He walked towards the house. Muriel stayed in the car with Sebastian. When Bernard returned shortly afterwards, he had a small boy with him who was wearing a woolen hat. Muriel hadn't seen the child before, but he looked to be the same age as Sebastian. The boy got into the back seat. Bernard made one more quick stop in

Lepange, then drove the group to another village that Muriel wasn't familiar with. Bernard got out, taking the boy with him. She wasn't sure how long Bernard was gone for, but when he returned, he was alone. They then drove back to Aunt Louisette's house, arriving around 5.30pm. Bernard left to buy wine before returning home and then eventually leaving for his night shift at the factory. The next morning, Muriel saw a story about Gregory Villemin's murder in the newspaper. She immediately recognised him as the boy in the car and knew that Bernard was responsible. At the request of police, Muriel drew a sketch of their routes and the places they stopped in Lepange and Doselle.

The locations coincided with both the Villemarne residence and where Gregory's body had been found. Muriel told police she was relieved to get this off her chest. She explained, I didn't say anything in the days following the tragedy because I was afraid to talk about it. I lied so that my brother-in-law and my sister wouldn't be bothered. I thought it was better to tell the truth because it was too serious a thing to hide. Police were stunned by Muriel's confession.

Concerned she could be making it up to get attention, they gave her the option to recant her statement. Muriel declined, adamant that she was telling the truth. She stated, It's true. I remember it perfectly. I will remember it all my life. The presiding magistrate, Judge Jean-Michel Lambert, was out of town when Muriel confessed. It was therefore decided that no action would be taken until his return. Three days later, on Monday November 5, Judge Lambert met with Muriel. She repeated her confession, saying she hadn't come forward earlier because she was afraid of Bernard.

Bernard Laroche was immediately arrested and charged with the murder of Gregory Villemin. Bernard's family were devastated. Marie Arnge tearfully told journalists there was no way her husband was guilty. She said he couldn't even kill a rabbit. It was a sentiment shared by others. It was a sentiment shared by others. Jackie Villemarne told the press that if Bernard was guilty, it was a Jekyll and Hyde situation. Even Gregory's parents found it hard to believe, with Jean-Marie telling reporters that he could no longer trust anyone. He'd always found Bernard to be helpful and kind. He stated, If it's really him, let justice be served.

A press conference was held during which Judge Lambert revealed that Muriel Boll was a partial witness and had been in the car with Bernard. This was a big mistake. Bernard. This was a big mistake. At the time, there was nothing in French law that protected a minor from being taken into custody. Muriel was only 15. She had learning difficulties and was in a special education class at school. Muriel hadn't been offered a lawyer or advised of her right to remain silent. By publicly releasing her name, Judge Lambert had essentially outed Muriel to her entire family. The following day, journalists were summoned to the home of Bernard and Marie-Ange Laroche. The family had an announcement to make. As the press gathered outside, Muriel approached their microphones.

Stone-faced and with her chin quivering slightly, she said, I wasn't in Bernard's car. I have never been to La Panche or Doselle. I never went to that place where that kid was drowned. Muriel admitted she'd made the whole story up. She said the police told her that Bernard Laroche had already confessed to the crime before feeding her details. They threatened to send her to a reformatory school if she didn't go along with the confession. Muriel claimed she only complied out of fear. As for the sketches of the routes they supposedly took, Muriel said a police officer had shown her these locations. She was simply repeating his instructions. Muriel said she took the bus

home as usual on October 16 and didn't see Bernard at all that day. She told the reporters, Bernard is innocent, Bernard is innocent. I never went with my brother-in-law. I never went with my brother-in-law. Muriel went to the courthouse and formally retracted her previous statement. Judge Lambert was undeterred. Even without the teenager's confession, he believed there was enough evidence against Bernard Laroche to secure a conviction for Gregory Villemain's murder. Bernard remained in custody as investigators continued building their case against him. For many, Muriel's retraction didn't exonerate Bernard. In fact, it had the opposite effect.

A neighbour of the Laroche family told the press that on the night Bernard was arrested, he overheard Muriel being beaten by her family Bernard's wife, Marie Arnch, strongly denied this accusation A family member later explained that they'd thrown rocks at trespassing journalists, which could have accounted for the noise at trespassing journalists, which could have accounted for the noise. Marie Arnge told reporters the family had no influence over Muriel whatsoever. Muriel backed this up. She maintained the police had scared her into providing the confession and she'd only come forward with the truth because she needed to clear Bernard's name. come forward with the truth because she needed to clear Bernard's name.

By Friday November 9, 24 days had passed since Gregory Villemin was killed. All of the individuals Bernard Laroche had mentioned crossing paths with on the afternoon of Gregory's death were assembled at the local courthouse. Hundreds of angry locals gathered outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the alleged child killer and the other players in the story that continued to dominate national headlines. As Bernard was led from a police car, some members of the crowd chanted, Kill him. Kill him. He chanted, kill him, kill him.

Witnesses were able to verify Bernard's movements for the entire day of October 16, save for that crucial 45-minute window where Gregory was abducted. Bernard's lawyer called for his immediate release. The request was denied. For Gregory's parents, the fact that Bernard had visited Gregory's uncle Michel on the day of the crime was highly suspicious. They knew how close the two cousins were and how jealous Michel was of Jean-Marie's success. On the night of Gregory's murder, Michel had also been so agitated that he'd been placed in police custody Although Michelle had reported receiving calls from the Crow over the years, he'd been alone every time It was no different when he received the final call announcing that Gregory had been killed What if this call hadn't actually taken place at all?

Was it possible that Michelle was just following orders from someone else? Jean-Marie started prying Michelle for information, which deeply angered their parents. They'd always been very protective of Michelle, and the insinuation that he could have been involved in Gregory's death was something they weren't prepared to stand for. It caused a great rift in the family. Jean-Marie severed all ties with his parents completely. A groundskeeper was clearing out some fir trees on the riverbank behind the fire station in Doselle. It was right next to the location Muriel Boll claimed Bernard Laroche had gotten out of the car with Gregory. It was where investigators had concluded Gregory's body was put in the river before floating downstream.

In nearby bushes, the groundskeeper found a hypodermic needle and a 2ml vial of insulin. They immediately notified the police. Used for the daily treatment of diabetes, when given in high doses, insulin can cause a person to slip into a hyperglycemic coma. The question was therefore raised as to whether Gregory could have been injected with insulin prior to being thrown in the river. This would explain the serene look on his face as well as the lack of defensive marks on his body. face as well as the lack of defensive marks on his body. The forensic pathologist who conducted Gregory's autopsy confirmed this was possible. However, they hadn't been instructed to run any toxicology testing, nor had they checked Gregory's body for any needle marks. When freelance journalist Sylvain Abba found out about the insulin, he began making inquiries and made a startling discovery.

Someone with ties to the investigation was indeed a diabetic. Muriel Boll's mother, Janine. Sylvain tracked down Janine's nurse. Sylvain tracked down Janine's nurse. She confirmed that Janine used the same brand of insulin and syringes as those found on the riverbank. Case magistrate Judge Jean-Michel Lambert didn't think the line of inquiry was worth pursuing further. It was common for diabetics to administer insulin in public places, and the brand was widely used, so the discovery wasn't necessarily attributed to the crime. Besides, some new witnesses had come forward with some much more compelling information.

At the textile factory where Christine Villemin worked, it was customary for employees to be let out just before 5pm so that those who needed to could make the 5 o'clock train. A majority of staff members took advantage of this, even if they had their own transport. even if they had their own transport. After clocking out on the afternoon of Tuesday October 16 1984, one employee was walking towards the La Panche post office to visit her sister who lived nearby. She saw one of her colleagues parked outside of the post office. It was Christine Villemarne. Moments later, another co-worker approached. They noticed Christine doing a U-turn in front of the building. She didn't drive towards Gregory's nanny's house like she claimed, but in the opposite direction. Two other co-workers came forward to report that they too had seen Christine Villemin at the Lepange post office straight after work. They had watched as she dropped at least one envelope into the mailbox.

The final letter sent by the Crow had been postmarked 5.15pm. The investigation was getting bigger than the local police could handle. Under immense pressure to solve the increasingly turbulent case, Judge Lambert finally appointed the National Police to take over. They confronted Christine with the allegations that she'd been spotted at the post office on the afternoon her son was killed. Christine said that her colleagues were mistaken. She had been there the day before. Christine claimed that after finishing work on Monday, she'd posted a cheque for a mail order. Police contacted the company in question. They produced an invoice confirming they had indeed received a mail order from

Christine Villemarne, which had been dated Monday October 15. When Christine described the outfit she'd worn on the Monday, it matched the description given by those who believed they'd seen her at the post office on the Tuesday. But for the new investigators, enough seeds of doubt had been planted to warrant the question. Could Christine Villemin have been involved in her son's murder? It was a possibility they'd considered from early on for a few reasons. Neighbours who had helped Christine look for Gregory when he first went missing hadn't recalled seeing the young boy play outside at all. They also hadn't seen anyone else in the area. This led some to doubt Christine's story from the get-go. Whoever posted the letter claiming

the crime had to have full certainty that they'd have access to the boy and would be able to pull off the crime. As the boy's mother, Christine could ensure this. Gregory's post-mortem concluded that the four-year-old had died from drowning. A theory emerged that Gregory might have died by accident. that Gregory might have died by accident. Perhaps Christine had left him unsupervised while he was taking a bath and he'd either drowned or been electrocuted. Fearing the repercussions, she could have staged a crime to deflect attention from herself. Alternatively, she could have intentionally drowned him in the tub before disposing of his body in the Vallone River to place the blame on the crow. The problem with both of these theories was timing.

Christine had picked Gregory up from his nanny's house just after 5pm. Neighbours had then seen Christine desperately looking for her son just after 5.30. If Gregory had died in Christine's care, it meant she had just under half an hour to get him redressed and clean the bathroom for any traces of accident or foul play. She'd then have to get his body to the car without her neighbours seeing, before making the 12km round trip from La Pange to Doselle. Somewhere in all this, she had to write and post a letter claiming the crime and find time to call Michel Villemin and take responsibility for the murder. All without being seen. Nobody had seen Christine or her black Renault on the road leading from La Pange to Doselle.

Although, one of Christine's neighbours recalled they were walking towards the Villemans' home at around 5pm on October 16. Christine drove past, giving them a small wave. By the time the neighbour reached the Villemans' house, Christine's Renault wasn't in the carport. The Vallone River contained unique microorganisms, but the water found in Gregory's lungs during his autopsy hadn't been tested. Therefore, there was no way of confirming whether he had been drowned in the river or elsewhere. whether he had been drowned in the river or elsewhere. With the media and public still fixated on Gregory Villemarne's murder, it didn't take long for word to spread that Christine was now being considered a suspect.

The possibility that the young boy had been killed by his mother was scandalous news. Newspapers and magazines didn't hold back with sensational headlines and articles geared towards Christine's guilt. They honed in on the possibility that Christine could have been the crow from the very beginning. The public were quick to jump on board. Within days, the same people who were sympathising with the grieving mother were now accusing her. Christine responded, Those who believe I'm guilty are mistaken. Why would I have done that? I no longer have a child. I don't have anything. Police began looking for any discrepancies in Christine's statements and exploring possible motives. But Christine's story about the afternoon in question had never changed.

They looked for evidence that Christine could have been cheating on Jean-Marie. What if Gregory wasn't Jean-Marie's child after all? Was it possible that Christine could have had an affair with Bernard Laroche? Could she have been working in cahoots with Bernard or another of Jean-Marie's relatives? But there was nothing to suggest she was anything but unwaveringly faithful. But there was nothing to suggest she was anything but unwaveringly faithful. Christine and Jean-Marie had remained by one another's sides throughout the entire ordeal, and the accusations against Christine didn't change that. They appeared in public holding hands and gave interviews strongly rejecting the possibility that Christine could have been involved in Gregory's death in any capacity.

Still consumed by grief at the loss of their son, the couple was advised that having another baby as soon as possible could help with the healing process. Christine soon found out she was pregnant. When news got out, outrage ensued. Some viewed her haste to have another baby as a sign that she wasn't affected by Gregory's death. Others thought Christine's pregnancy was a form of protection. If she was guilty of killing Gregory, her fragile state meant she might be spared from jail.

Christine and Jean-Marie denied all the rumours and accusations. They publicly announced their desire to undergo a lie detector test. The request was sent to the French President. It was denied. In addition to having a new person of interest for Gregory's murder, the case against Bernard Laroche started falling apart. When the team of handwriting experts had examined the final letter sent by the Crow, the minutes of their meeting hadn't been recorded in compliance with the Code of Criminal Procedure. Therefore, their evidence about the impressions of Bernard LaRoche's initials were deemed

invalid on a technicality. The letter had since been tested for fingerprints, but the wrong material had been used. Not only did this mean no fingerprints were detected, but the wrong material had been used. Not only did this mean no fingerprints were detected, but the impressions were no longer visible. Any possible evidence on the letter had been effectively destroyed. Speculation of a conspiracy theory started to take hold. There were allegations that the case's magistrate, Judge Jean-Michel Lambert, had been working closely with Bernard's defence team. Questions were raised as to why the evidence was so poorly handled. Why hadn't further forensic testing been ordered during Gregory's post-mortem?

Was Judge Lambert simply trying to throw Christine under the bus just to deflect suspicion from Bernard? But as Bernard's lawyers pointed out, there were other questions too. Gregory's parents had described him as being wary of strangers. It therefore didn't make sense that he would have happily followed Bernard into his car without protest. The two barely knew each other. Conversely, had Gregory screamed or fought, surely his mother or neighbours would have heard something. Furthermore, there was no way that Bernard could have known that Gregory would have been playing outside unsupervised on the afternoon of the crime. Nothing could have guaranteed him that there would be no witnesses. The idea that he'd pre-emptively picked up Muriel Ball to help him pull off the kidnapping

was therefore implausible. It also made no sense that he would have kidnapped Gregory in the presence of his young son and sister-in-law. Additionally, Bernard had no prior criminal record, hadn't made any semblance of a confession, and most importantly, no legitimate reason to kill Gregory Villemin. By February 1985, three and a half months had passed since Gregory's murder. With the case against Bernard Laroche becoming increasingly unstable, Judge Lambert made a controversial decision. Bernard Laroche would be released from remand on judicial supervision. Bernard immediately returned to his house and work, with the journalists following him every step of the way.

Meanwhile, headlines continued to circulate about Christine Villemans' possible involvement in her son's death. The pressure against the Villemans was mounting. In late March, Christine was interrogated for nine hours. Her story never changed. A newly appointed panel of handwriting experts was tasked with examining the letters from the Crow. While the first team believed the writing was a match for Bernard Laroche, the new panel concluded that Bernard's handwriting was mostly incompatible. The family member whose handwriting showed the most consistencies with the crow was deemed to be none other than Christine Villemain.

This finding was announced by the media before investigators had a chance to break the news to Christine and Jean-Marie. Now four months pregnant, the news had a profound impact on Christine. She started bleeding and had to be rushed to hospital. Investigators visited her at her bedside as hordes of journalists gathered outside. They revealed to Christine that her handwriting matched the crow at a probability of 80%. Christine commented, You can have me do as many dictations as you want and say it's a 100% match. It will not change my behaviour or the truth. The results did nothing to change Jean-Marie Villemin's mind, he told reporters.

Between the experts and Bernard's word, I trust my wife. I trust my wife. But for the grieving father, it was all becoming too much. Not only had he lost his beloved son, he felt like the media and law enforcement were trying to turn him against his wife. The health of their unborn child was now in danger. For Jean-Marie, Bernard Laroche's guilt was obvious. He was convinced the police were involved in some kind of cover-up. Why was a guilty man walking free while his wife was being tortured with such cruel and unfounded accusations? On March 29, Jean-Marie visited Gregory's grave.

It had been five and a half months since Gregory's lifeless body had been pulled from the river. As his father knelt before Gregory's white headstone adorned with flowers, angel statues and a picture of Gregory's smiling face, Jean-Marie thought he heard the voice of his young son. Go ahead, Papa, it said. To be continued next week. Thank you.