From our special correspondent in Strasbourg
In his argument, Mr.e Francis Metzger, one of Jean-Marc Reiser’s lawyers, asked the judge and jury not to convict his client. “White Death”. They did not listen to him. This Tuesday, after just two and a half hours of deliberation, Jean-Marc Reiser was found guilty of murdering young Sophie Le Tan in Schiltigheim (Rhine) on September 7, 2018. The 60-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment with a 22-year guarantee at the request of the attorney general. The victim’s family presented themselves “satisfied” and: “relieved” of this judgment. “Justice was served”he responded to the results of the session.
Jean-Marc Reiser denied any intention or premeditation of the murder until the end. “There was no deliberate action on my part either on the day of the events or in the previous days. […] There was nothing premeditated in this rage, this violence. […] I am guilty of causing death [Sophie Le Tan] even if I didn’t want to”he said during a long monologue that lasted almost ten minutes this Tuesday morning, when the president gave him the floor for the last time.
“They portray me as a monster, which I am not.claimed the accused, who convicted a “Media lynching”. but welcomed“Immense Dignity” from the family of the murdered. “I know very well that they will never be able to forgive me. I apologize to them, but I know that nothing I can say will change much. I would react like them if it happened to my daughter., he added. During the session, the victim’s parents, brother and sister presented their identities “decayed” With Sophie’s death, “pillar” From this very modest family of Vietnamese origin.
“Date with Death”
For seven days, from June 27 to July 5, the Rhine Court was immersed in the events of September 2018. At the time, Sophie Le Tan, a second-year economics-management student at the University of Strasbourg, was looking for: for residence. While traveling on Le Bon Coin, he came across a classified ad for an apartment in Schiltigheim, near Strasbourg. On the 4th, he gets in touch with the alleged lessor, with whom he communicates by phone and SMS.
On the morning of the 7th, Sophie Le Tan leaves the hotel in Strasbourg, where she works as a night receptionist alongside her studies, and heads for Schiltigheim. But this is the day of his twentieth birthday “meaning with death” which is waiting for him, according to one of his family’s lawyers, Me Remy Stefan. He wouldn’t make it out of 1 rue Perlet, home of Jean-Marc Reiser, alive.
Very quickly, the student’s surroundings became worried. Sophie, who is very close to her family, is not in the habit of not giving news. Especially since he had to go to Mulhouse after his estate visit to celebrate his 20th birthday with his mother and sister. The authorities are informed about his disappearance and the search begins. Thanks to A “tremendous work” On real estate ads and phone calls, investigators are tracking Jean-Marc Reiser, who was arrested on September 15.
Evolutionary statements
At that time, the 57-year-old man was unknown to justice. If he was acquitted in 2001 in the case of the disappearance of a young woman, Françoise Hohmann, then two years later he was sentenced to 15 years in prison for rape. Released from prison in 2010, he worked for several years before resuming his studies in archeology and then art history. The suspect begins by claiming he has none “nothing to see” in “this case”. However, the missing woman’s DNA is found in her house.
On October 5, he changed his declarations. On September 7, he would meet Sophie Le Tan, whom he knew from university. The latter, wounded in the hand, would ask him to come and heal the wound, which he would accept. He would go up to his apartment, clean the wound in the bathroom and leave. This hypothesis does not convince anyone, especially since a few months later, the young woman’s DNA is found on the handle of a saw in the defendant’s basement.
On October 23, 2019, part of Sophie Le Tan’s body was accidentally discovered in a forest in Rosheim by a family who was foraging for mushrooms. Jean-Marc Reiser continues to deny that he killed the young woman. On January 19, 2021, it finally changes the version. Now he explains that the student would come to visit his apartment and use the toilet. Bringing her a towel, she would “kiss” and he would have misunderstand his intentions. He would hurt her, she would bruise him, she would start screaming.
“It was not a sad incident.”
Jean-Marc Reiser would have then “lost the pedals” and allegedly punched and kicked the student, as a result of which she fell to the ground. Marking her death, he decided to dismember her, placing her body parts in garbage bags and then suitcases. He would store the suitcases in the basement for several days before hiding the body in the woods.
During the seven days of his trial, the defendant stuck to this version of the “death blows”. For their part, the attorney for the Le Tan family and the attorney general confirmed their belief that Sophie’s death was intentional and premeditated. “It was not an unfortunate incident, as Jean-Marc Reiser said Friday.”the representative of the prosecutor’s office specifically stated in his indictment. “Indeed he has fallen into a trap.”
After hearing from each side, as well as numerous experts and witnesses, the three judges and six jurors finally found that Jean-Marc Reiser did indeed kill Sophie Le Tan. And sentenced him to life imprisonment with a maximum term of 22 years. The sexologist has ten days to appeal. “We will take time to think”said M.e Xavier Metzger, one of the defenders.
Source: Le Figaro
