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You are here: Home / Unsolved / The Boulin case is reopened

The Boulin case is reopened

September 13, 2015 By Alice

Robert Boulin
Robert Boulin

The Boulin case is reopened by the French prosecution and can have significant consequences for some politicians.

The Telegraph reports that “the family’s lawyer, Marie Dosé, said new evidence had emerged indicating that Boulin, a decorated veteran of the French Resistance during the Second World War, was kidnapped on the night of his death at the age of 59.”

The first officer on the scene was Francis Deswarte. He saw Boulin’s body first. According to the official verdict, Boulin drowned after taking barbiturates. Mr Deswarte said he saw the minister’s body in the pool in Rambouillet Forrest on October 30, 1979.

From the BBC: “After spotting a car behind a wood pile, he saw the body in nearby water, said to have been 50 cm (19 inches) deep. He was kneeling, with his head out of the water, looking towards the car,” said Mr Deswarte.

Marks on Robert Boulin's face
Marks on Robert Boulin’s face

Asked about the official verdict of death by drowning, he replied: “Robert Boulin did not drown. It is not possible. He was virtually on all fours, his head out of the water. “I am convinced that he was trying to crawl to the bank. And then, he had marks on his face like red scratches.” The former officer said he had been taken off the case 30 minutes later.

Two or three months afterwards, Mr Deswarte was called in for questioning and asked by police to change his version of the events, he told 20 Minutes: “When I talked about the marks on his face, they explained to me that emergency workers had dropped the body when they removed it from the pond. “But that is not true. I was there. The emergency workers removed it without any difficulty.” Asked why he had finally chosen to speak out, he said he had heard “a lot of lies” and wanted to tell the truth.”

The case: Robert Boulin (20 July 1920 – 30 October 1979) was a French politician who served as Minister of Labour in the French Cabinet and was at the centre of a major real-estate scandal that ended only with his death in mysterious circumstances. At the time of his death he was the longest-serving minister in post-revolution French history; only Louis XIV’s Colbert served longer. On Oct 29, 1979 Boulin disappeared. He was found the next day under circumstances that hint at suicide: in a pond in the forest of Rambouillet where he loved to ride horses, an empty barbiturates container was next to his car, and inside that car messages for family, friends, and colleagues.

If you have read the book by Boulin’s daughter, let me know your thoughts.

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Filed Under: Unsolved Tagged With: Autopsy, DNA, drowning, Forensics, France, Robert Boulin, suicide

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Author Notes

On this website, I write about old, unsolved cases. Most are from the pre-DNA era and are in need of renewed media attention. I only do research and leave the active investigation of these cases to the professionals.

My posts are about homicides, missing and unidentified people, wrongful convictions, and forensics as related to these cases.

On book reviews: I only review select works of true crime, crime fiction, and historical fiction/mysteries. The stories have to fit my website's theme and research. It remains my prerogative to not review a book.

My database has over 325 cases listed by the victim’s last name. You will find a brief description there as well. The database will always be free to the public to use. You cannot buy ad space on my website, ever.

All writing suggestions that come in by email are added to my to-do list in the order in which they were received. Please be patient. My to-do list is very long but no case gets dropped and I will get back in touch.

Defrosting Cold Cases is NOT an organization. It is my brainchild.

If you have any questions about my website please check the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page, the about page, and the tabs in both menu bars. If you still cannot find the answer there, please contact me.

Thank you,

Alice de Sturler

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If you use my work, please add a link back. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. Thank you!

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Copyright: Please add a link back if you use my work. Let your readers know where you found your information. I do the same for you. If you need help with this, just contact me. Thank you, Alice de Sturler

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