The mental state of the suspect, who admitted the facts, questions the investigators. He is of Spanish nationality.
An 80-year-old man and his daughter-in-law were killed by a 38-year-old homeless man who broke into their home in Villeneuve-les-Maguelone (Hérault) probably to commit a theft there, the prosecution said on Friday.
“The author was apprehended while he was still in the house. 38 years old, he is of Spanish nationality. He is homeless and has a nomadic life”, explained in an email the prosecutor deputy of Montpellier, Laurent Fekkar.
A judicial investigation was opened and the man was remanded in custody. The bodies of the octogenarian and that of the daughter of his deceased wife, aged 57, were discovered on December 18 in the house they shared by the gendarmes, who intervened at the request of the family, who were worried about have no news, said the assistant prosecutor.
Questions about the mental state of the suspect
At this stage of the investigation, the prosecution does not “know precisely when the facts took place or even their chronology,” said Laurent Fekkar. “Examinations in progress will be able to specify it later”.
However, the autopsy has already confirmed that the two victims had died “following blows”, he added. The suspect, “whose mental state raises questions”, according to the prosecution, “did not provide a rational explanation for his acting out” but “acknowledged the facts”.
“It seems that he came from Italy and got off the train at Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone station, located near the victims’ house. The traces of the break-in suggest that the defendant was there. introduced to commit theft”, further indicated the representative of the prosecution
According to him, there was “no family, friendly or professional link between the author and the victims”.
