A 35-year-old man was indicted on charges of “spouse murder” after the discovery on Saturday of the lifeless body of his companion in the town of Trignacon the outskirts of Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique), reports the public prosecutor of Nantes, Renaud Gaudeul.
When help arrived at the marital home, the 31-year-old victim was found in a bedroom, sitting on the floor, a rope tied around her neck. An autopsy was performed on Monday, but further examinations are needed to determine the exact causes of death.
Suicide unlikely
It was the 13-year-old son of the spouse who discovered the body around 6 a.m. His father would then have felt unwell. It was therefore another member of the family, alerted by telephone, who warned the firefighters. On the spot, the emergency services and the investigators considered that the position of the body and that of the rope were not very consistent with the hypothesis of a suicide. Finding shared by the medical examiner.
The gendarmes also learned that the young woman had warned her companion that she was going to leave him. The latter would even have discovered, a few hours before the tragedy, that his companion had found a new home. He would then have been “extremely virulent”, according to comments reported by the victim on text messages sent to his parents. Another disturbing element: no telephone was found in the marital home, indicates the public prosecutor.
Two children without parents
When heard, the companion denies any involvement in the murder. He also disputes difficulties in his relationship. He was remanded in custody and faces life imprisonment.
The suspect and the victim were parents of a 7-year-old girl. She is the subject of care and psychological support, just like her 13-year-old half-brother.