Fifteen years after the events, a new testimony is bringing back attention to the Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès case. On the set of Tout beau, tout neuf (TBT9) on April 13, the columnist Shana Loustau revisited the unprecedented testimony of the director of an inn where he allegedly stayed shortly after his disappearance, who spoke out for the first time. She describes a sociable man, far from the image of a discreet fugitive.
An unprecedented testimony after 15 years of silence
The Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès case continues to have developments in recent months. After a new theory presented by Michel Mary, Shana Loustau introduced in her chronicle on April 13 a new statement regarding one of the most sought-after men in France: “This is all a new testimony in this case.”
She recalls the context: “Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès has been sought since April 21, 2011, the date when the police found his wife and children buried under the terrace of their house.” According to the information available, he would have left Nantes in mid-April to head south, where he would have stayed alone in an inn.
The particularity of this testimony: the owner of the establishment speaking out for the first time in 15 years.
“He talked a lot”: a surprising behavior
In her account, the inn’s director insists on a striking point: the behavior of the man she welcomed. “It’s true that he talked a lot. He was not discreet at all and not withdrawn.”
A striking contrast with the image generally associated with a wanted person. She adds: “That’s what really surprised us when we found out that he was wanted for the murders of his children and wife.”
Details that raise questions
The director also describes several elements that struck her, but only after learning about the case. She mentions a precise moment: “He waved to me from his balcony, and it caught my eye.”
Thinking she recognized a regular, she explains: “I still went to check, but no, he had never come.” Another detail: “He spent the evening alone with a good bottle of wine that he had ordered.” A behavior that she now finds significant: “Being alone and having a good bottle of wine, that was something quite striking afterward.”
She concludes: “He did spend a stay in Cassagne. It was still something, I think, that we cannot think of as more horrible.”
“Nothing was apparent”: a cold-blooded man
At the time of the events, nothing seemed suspect. The testimony emphasizes a central point: no external signs allowed to imagine the situation. “We say nothing was apparent about this gentleman when she met him.”
On the set, Gilles Verdez reacts to this testimony by evoking a “cool-headed” attitude.
He continues: “It seems like he is a computer with no feelings that plans everything and calculates everything.” Before reminding that several hypotheses are still open: “Did he organize everything, did he commit suicide, we don’t know.”
A program available for free on M6+ replay
Fifteen years later, this testimony adds to the many known elements, without providing a definitive answer.
However, it highlights a key point: the contrast between a behavior perceived as normal and the gravity of the facts. A element that continues to fuel questions about one of the most striking criminal cases of recent decades.
To watch the TBT9 episode from April 13, go to M6+ for the free replay, or with the M6+MAX subscription to watch without ads.
