A 58-year-old man accused of murdering a schoolgirl in northern France more than three decades ago went on trial Monday in one of the country’s oldest cold cases to reach court in recent years.
Pascal Lafolie is facing charges over the 1994 killing of 17-year-old Nadege Desnoix in the Aisne region. Her stabbed body was discovered under foliage near her high school in Chateau-Thierry, alongside a nylon cord and a freshly picked rose.
For years, the case remained unsolved until DNA evidence linked Lafolie to the crime. His DNA, collected during a domestic violence case in 2021, matched samples found on a hairband the victim was wearing when she died.
Lafolie, who has previous convictions for rape and sexual assault, initially confessed but later retracted his statement, claiming memory lapses. He now says he was present at the scene with his brother, but denies killing Desnoix.
Investigators have ruled out his brother’s involvement, as he died months before Lafolie’s arrest.
If convicted by the criminal court in Laon, Lafolie faces up to 30 years in prison. A verdict is expected on Wednesday.
