A 27-year-old inmate was found dead Thursday evening at La Talaudière prison in the Loire. The man living in Puy-de-Dôme was discovered lying on the bed of his cell, his throat slit, before falling to the ground. It was his co-inmate who raised the alert. The prison wardens, firefighters and the medical team who intervened on the spot failed to revive him. The suicide hypothesis is privileged.
Carotid artery sliced by a razor blade
An autopsy must be performed next Monday to verify this hypothesis, said David Charmatz, the prosecutor of Saint-Etienne. According to the first elements of the investigation, the suspect would have sliced his carotid artery with a metal blade contained in the plastic razor of the hygiene pack provided by the prison administration.
The suspect was until then unknown to justice. His arrest took place last Monday at his home in Puydômois. Investigators were able to make the connection between his DNA profile and that of an individual prosecuted last September for sexual exhibition in Puy-de-Dôme. Analyzes that would have made it possible to make the link with other cases.
Four victims had formally recognized the suspect – David Charmatz, Saint-Etienne prosecutor
Originally from Firminy, the 27-year-old was suspected of a dozen sexual assaults committed since 2016, including at least one attempted rape in 2017. “Four victims had formally recognized the suspect“according to the Saint-Etienne prosecutor contacted by AFP. The suspect admitted to him having committed acts of violence but not of sexual assault.