Man Goes on Trial in France for Cold-Case Murder of Schoolgirl

A man accused of murdering a schoolgirl in northern France over three decades ago has gone on trial on Monday, in one of the country’s oldest cold cases to reach court in recent years.

The victim, 17-year-old Nadege Desnoix, was killed in 1994 in the Aisne region. The case remained unsolved for many years until DNA evidence led to the arrest of Pascal Lafolie, now 58, in 2021.

If convicted, Lafolie faces up to 30 years in prison at the criminal court in Laon, with a verdict expected on Wednesday.

“It’s a miracle that we have got this far,” said Arnaud Miel, lawyer for the victim’s mother, in an interview with AFP.

In late May 1994, Desnoix’s stabbed body was discovered under foliage on a side road leading to her high school in the town of Chateau-Thierry.

Investigators found a nylon cord and a freshly picked rose near her schoolbag. An autopsy revealed no signs of sexual assault.

Numerous leads were explored, including her boyfriend and the notorious serial killer Michel Fourniret, but no concrete evidence emerged.

Genetic material was discovered on Desnoix’s clothing, but DNA databases of suspects and convicted criminals initially produced no match.

In 2021, new testing revealed that Lafolie’s DNA, collected months earlier in a domestic violence case, matched a hairband Desnoix had been wearing at the time of her death.

Lafolie, who has previous convictions for rape and sexual assault, initially confessed during questioning but later retracted his statement, now claiming innocence.

“His ability to remember is not complete; these events date back more than 30 years,” said Justine Devred, Lafolie’s lawyer.

Lafolie maintains he was driving his brother to an appointment when they crossed paths with Desnoix. He claims he tried to stop his brother from harming her, but was struck repeatedly on the head, causing gaps in his memory.

“He admits to having been there, he remembers being there with his brother, but then he has memory lapses,” Devred added.

The investigation has ruled out the involvement of his brother, who died a few months before Lafolie’s arrest.

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