In a tragic and absolutely bizarre murder case out of France, a woman is now the prime suspect in the murder of her residential care home neighbor. Murders are unfortunately not all that rare around the world, but what makes this case so strange is that the suspect is 102 years old.
As CNN reports, the 92-year-old woman was found “lifeless” in her room in the care facility over the weekend. The search for a suspect didn’t take long, as the woman’s 102-year-old neighbor reportedly confessed to killing “someone,” though several questions still need to be answered.
According to court reports, the victim had visible signs of damage to her face, and an investigation into the cause of death revealed she had died from asphyxiation. The woman had also apparently been beaten in the head. The care home, which is located in Chézy-sur-Marne in the north of France, is just over an hour from Paris.
Investigators said the 102-year-old suspect told one of the care home workers she had committed a murder, and appeared confused and distraught. “The resident of the neighboring room, aged 102, appeared in great agitation and told one of the medical staff that she had ‘killed someone’,” Frederic Trinh, a prosecutor working on the case, said in a statement. She was taken to both a hospital and psychiatric facility following the incident.
Police are moving forward with the investigation and AFP reports that the suspect will have to be examined by mental health experts in order to determine whether she’s fit for a criminal trial. The report also reveals that police have not had the opportunity to actually question the suspect yet, likely due to her condition. Details regarding the possible motive, if there even was one, are scant.
