Jacqueline Jacob Charged in Renewed Investigation of Grégory Villemin Case

On October 24, 2025, Jacqueline Jacob, the 81-year-old grand-aunt of Grégory Villemin, was formally charged with criminal conspiracy in relation to the mysterious and unresolved 1984 murder of her grand-nephew, who was tragically found drowned at four years old. The move marks a significant development in the decades-old emblematic case that has captivated France for over 41 years.

Jacob was questioned for more than ninety minutes at the Dijon Court of Appeal, accompanied by her husband Marcel—brother to Grégory's grandmother—and her attorneys Stéphane Giuranna and Frédéric Berna. Following the interrogation, Jacob was released but remains a key suspect believed to be involved in the harassment campaigns against the Villemin family by multiple "corbeaux" or anonymous harassers, from whom at least five individuals have been identified through expert analysis.

Forensic examinations, including graphology and stylometry, have attributed numerous threatening letters, some directly menacing the Villemin family, to Jacob. Additionally, she allegedly claimed responsibility for the murder in one such letter, according to investigating judges. However, the reliability of these forensic methods has been contested by Jacob's legal defense, which has described the accusations as baseless and criticized the credibility of the expert analyses. Notably, a 1991 analysis previously attributed one key letter to Bernard Laroche, a cousin of Grégory's father—a figure later killed by Jean-Marie Villemin in a grim chapter of the case's history.

Prosecutor General Philippe Astruc stated that, despite the charges, the evidence currently does not warrant sufficient grounds for a conviction. Jacob was previously charged in 2017, but those charges were annulled due to procedural errors.

The Villemin case remains a poignant and complex saga characterized by intertwined family tensions and unresolved questions, with the latest developments renewing public and legal attention on its enduring mysteries.