At the Assize Court of Isère
It will have been enough of a letter to give the coup de grace to Nordahl Lelandais. To convince the jurors that the man has, in reality, hardly changed despite what he has been trying to believe since the start of his trial. This one-and-a-half-page letter was written by the parents of Arthur Noyer, the accused’s first victim. It was read on Wednesday afternoon, during the pleadings of the civil parties, overwhelming the courtroom with emotion.
Finding yourself in an assize court, facing the “tormentor” of your child, is a particularly difficult ordeal. The Noyer couple knows it. He had the cruel experience of it in May 2021, when Nordahl Lelandais was tried for the murder of their son. This son, whom the accused constantly presents as “a good guy”. Ulcerated, revolted, the parents of the corporal took up the pen to say what they had on their hearts.
“You are a murderer”
” What game are you playing ? “, they are indignant in this letter dated February 14. “No, there was no altercation between you and Arthur, there was no fight, as you say to save your skin. You have committed murder. You were tried, you were convicted and you did not appeal. You are a murderer. »
At the helm, Fabien Rajon, Maëlys’ mother’s lawyer, punctuates each sentence with a look in the direction of the court or the accused. A cathedral-like silence reigns in the courtroom. The words exude anger, pain, but ring true. They come to strike, one by one, Nordahl Lelandais who nevertheless remains impassive. Barely, he lowers his head from time to time.
An “abject individual”, an “evil being”
“Are the ten square meters of your cell less livable than the two square meters of Arthur’s tomb?” asks the Noyer couple. And to continue: “You say that the image of Arthur comes back to you every day, so do we. But that didn’t stop you from living. We do. So stop using Arthur to pretend you have empathy. »
No, Nordahl Lelandais “has not changed”. He remains “an evil being”, a “liar”, a “manipulator”, a “coward”, a “despicable individual”. As we know, a “rotten tree does not bear good fruit”.
Friday, the accused will be fixed on his fate. Only the jurors will decide his sentence. Arthur’s parents have only one last wish: “May the faces of your victims, of our children killed by your own hands, haunt you for eternity”, they conclude for the attention of the accused.
Follow the rest of this trial on the Twitter account of our journalist @CaroGirardon