“Omar killed me”, the famous criminal case does not seem to have found an end for Omar Raddad, thirty years following the discovery of the body of his victim, Ghislaine Marchal. The ex-gardener, accused of having killed the wealthy widow, must be fixed this Thursday, October 13, 2022, following the presentation of new elements by his defense to have his conviction revised.
Raddad, who still clings to his innocence following all these years, has decided to keep fighting, re-filing a motion to have his trial reviewed on June 24, 2021 following the first one filed twenty years ago was dismissed. .
The former Moroccan gardener was charged by French justice in 1994 following finding Ghislaine Marchal dead at the age of 65 in her villa. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Two years later, he benefits from a partial pardon granted by former French President Jacques Chirac but has never been exonerated.
This new hearing can either turn in favor of Omar Raddad, if his “new elements” seem to be sufficient for the revision of his conviction, or lead to the rejection of his request once more. In any case, it will depend on the commission of instruction.
Defense lawyer Sylvie Noachovitch previously said there is “hope that a decision will be favourable”. This indicates that it was able to take a “first step” by obtaining additional information on the case. Noachovitch had asked a genetics expert to examine the four unidentified male DNA found at the crime scene in 2015 and which do not match the genetic profile of the ex-gardener.
For his part, Raddad hopes that scientific progress in the field of DNA and the law will allow him to obtain a review of his trial in order to prove his innocence. According to his defense, these genetic traces might actually help direct justice towards the real killer.
On May 19, the defense team had also presented to the investigative committee of the Court of Revision other elements from a so-called “secret” investigation carried out by the gendarmerie between 2002 and 2004. Moreover, these investigations had been revealed in a book published in March, “Ministry of injustice” by Jean-Michel Décugis, Pauline Guéna and Marc Leplongeon, according to AFP.
According to the same source, the defense of Omar Raddad requested on September 15 the intervention of the gendarmes who carried out the investigation for more details. In particular, it requested the appointment of a laboratory specializing in kinship research in order to determine to whom the unknown DNA found on the inscriptions belong.
The two mysterious accusatory inscriptions in letters of blood “Omar m’a tuil” and “Omar m’a t” which had been discovered on the two doors of the victim’s villa have somehow preserved the celebrity of this case in France and in Morocco.
