THE AURÉLIE VACQUIER CASE, THE PARTNER IS THE PRIME SUSPECT | Enquêtes criminelles | W9

On April 7 2021, the body of Aurélie Vacquier is discovered buried under a concrete slab at her home in Bédarieux, in the Hérault. Like Delphine Jubillar and Magalie Blandin, who also disappeared at the same time without trace, the fate of this young woman of 38 rocked the whole of France. While her partner has now become the object of every suspicion, “Enquête criminelles” takes you deep into the heart of a case still packed with shadowy areas. Everything begins 2 months previously, on January 28, when Aurélie messages her partner, Samire, that she’s left on a break to concentrate on writing a book. This behaviour seems odd and her departure rushed, just when this young woman was about to make her dream come true: transform a former art gallery into a vegan restaurant and store selling organic produce. A project she is sharing with Samire, whom she met a few months earlier.  It is Samire, who, on February 23, finally decides to report Aurélie’s disappearance to the gendarmes. When they probe into the couple’s life, investigators discover two highly colourful characters. Aurélie, it turns out, publishes sometimes conspiracy-theory inspired, videos on the internet, in particular relating to the health crisis and the wearing of masks. As for Samire, he never takes a moment’s rest: in one of the videos posted by his partner, he shows himself to be insolent and provocative, wilfully creating a scene in a shopping mall for an insignificant reason. And now Samire is cast as the prime suspect. It must be said that elements of concern are mounting against him: his incoherent explanations, his air of detachment during the searches and, most damning, the discovery of Aurélie’s lifeless body at their home. Accused of “aggravated murder”, the man demonstrates extraordinary coolness despite the aggressive attitude of the investigators. So, does Samire, who proclaims his innocence loud and clear, really know nothing about the death of his partner? Who is he really and how did he come into Aurélie’s life? And, most important: why would he have killed the woman of his life?