Gendarmes near Saumane, in the Cévennes, Thursday May 13, 2020 (photo illustration) – AFP
Result in the investigation into the double homicide of the Cévennes. Valentin M., the main suspect, surrendered, putting an end to several days on the run in this remote area located in the department of (Gard). The gendarmerie had mobilized significant resources – 350 gendarmes including members of the GIGN, eight helicopters, thermal camera drones, dog teams – to try to locate him within a perimeter of 15 km².
A flight into the woods right after the fact
The tragedy occurred on Tuesday around 8 a.m. in the village of Plantiers, which has fewer than 260 inhabitants. Arriving at his place of work, the suspect “did not greet his boss who pointed it out to him kindly, reported Tuesday the prosecutor of Alès, François Schneider, then in charge of the investigation. At this point, the respondent drew a handgun and immediately opened fire, killing him with several bullets in the head. One of the employees, who had tried to intervene, was also shot in the head.
A witness manages to flee and raise the alarm. During this time, the suspect goes home, recovers “personal effects” to withstand the cold and bad weather, before spinning into the woods, explained Eric Maurel, the Nîmes prosecutor, after having recovered this case.
“Real dangerousness”
Valentin M., “a loner”, “able to survive in a hostile environment”, represented, according to the magistrate, “a real danger”, because he was notably equipped with a rifle with a telescopic sight allowing to shoot with precision several hundred meters away. A few days before the events, the behavior of the suspect had changed, and the man now came to work with a bulletproof vest.