THE CHRISTIANE ROGER CASE : TWO WOMEN FOR AN INHERITANCE | Enquêtes criminelles | W9

On November 06 2012, in a comfortable neighborhood of Perreux sur Marne, near Paris, the body of Christiane Roger, 83, is found lying on her bed. It’s a neighbor, concerned at seeing no signs of the old lady, who raises the alarm.

Did the aged grandmother die of old age? The autopsy will show that the retiree, who lived only, was actually beaten and then smothered to death. It seems the perpetrator entered by breaking in through the garage door, but, strangely, nothing in the house was moved or stolen. Even stranger, the telephone line was cut with pincers thus preventing the victim from calling for help…

So who killed Christiane Roger? The case is handed over to the famous Criminal Brigade at 36, quai des Orfèvres. And there’s no shortage of suspects: the lonely widow was known for her frank way of talking and feisty character. A bitter old grouch, who, between spats between neighbors and rows with her domestic employees, collected plenty of enemies.

And amongst them, one in particular will attract the attention of the investigators: her own granddaughter, Chantal Chézeau, married and mother of 4. In fact, for months the pair had been waging a merciless war over the subject of Christiane’s dwelling. Chantal had become co-owner on the death of her grandfather. Deep in debt, the heiress wanted to sell, but Christiane refused to leave the premises… Could the granddaughter have eliminated her grandmother in order to win the jackpot? Everything points that way.

And yet, Chantal Chézeau proclaims her innocence. In any case, at the time of the crime, she swears that she was at her home near Agen, nearly 700 km away! As for the precious estate, a meeting with the lawyer to find a compromise had been fixed for just ten days after the tragedy. Could the super sleuths of the Criminal Brigade been barking up the wrong tree? Not so sure… It’s the video-surveillance and the slew of cameras at the high-security, up-market residence that will turn the investigation upside down and reveal the face of the killer.