On the night of October 14, 2010, 46-year-old Nathalie Villermet finished work at the Rose Garden, the bar and boarding house she owned on the outskirts of Paris, France. She had spent years looking after difficult tenants and regular customers, and she knew many of the problems that came with running the place.
That night seemed ordinary.
Nathalie counted the day’s earnings, spoke to her longtime boyfriend Marc Destrebecq on the phone, and prepared to leave. Her bartender, Patrice Chevalier, asked for a ride to his girlfriend’s home. Nathalie agreed.
By the next morning, Nathalie was missing.
Hours later, her body was found in a roadside ditch. Her hands had been tied, her face had been badly beaten, and investigators found a heavy branch nearby that appeared to be the murder weapon.
At first, police had several possible suspects. Nathalie’s boyfriend had no one to confirm his alibi. A tenant had recently clashed with her over money. And the bartender was the last known person to leave with her.
The investigation would eventually reveal that the person who appeared to be helping search for Nathalie had been hiding a much darker secret.
Who Was Nathalie Villermet?
Nathalie Villermet was 46 years old and owned the Rose Garden, a bar located on the outskirts of Paris. She also owned the boarding house attached to the business.
Nathalie was familiar with difficult people. Many of her tenants and customers were heavy drinkers or had complicated lives. Even so, she cared about them.
One of those tenants was Bruno Marton, a heavy drinker who had repeatedly caused problems. Just a week before Nathalie’s death, she had caught Bruno taking money from the bar’s cash register.
She banned him from the bar but did not remove him from the boarding house. Nathalie knew he had nowhere else to go.
Her decision showed how she viewed the people around her. Even when they caused trouble, she often tried to help them.
Nathalie’s Final Night at the Rose Garden
On October 14, Nathalie was behind the bar counting the day’s earnings when two regular customers began arguing.
She stopped the argument and warned them to behave or the bartender would stop serving them. The situation quickly calmed down.
Nathalie finished counting the money and placed the cash inside a zip-up pouch. She put the pouch into her jacket pocket.
At around 8:30 p.m., she called her boyfriend, Marc Destrebecq.
The couple had been together for 25 years. They had never married, although Marc had recently started talking about finally having a wedding ceremony.
Nathalie told Marc that she was leaving work and heading home. Marc said he had already eaten and might be asleep when she arrived.
Nathalie said she would heat up some leftovers and see him in the morning.
It was the last known phone conversation she had with him.
Patrice Chevalier Asked Nathalie for a Ride
After Nathalie finished her call, bartender Patrice Chevalier came out of the storage area while moving a keg.
Patrice had arrived at the Rose Garden two years earlier with almost nothing. Nathalie had given him a cheap room in the boarding house and a job behind the bar.
Over time, she had come to think of him as a friend rather than just an employee.
That night, Nathalie asked Patrice whether he still wanted a ride to his girlfriend’s home.
He said yes.
Patrice went to get his belongings. A short time later, he returned wearing his coat.
Nathalie checked that the waitress had the keys and could close the bar. She grabbed her scarf, walked outside and headed toward her white van.
Patrice followed her.
Neither of them knew that Nathalie would never return to the Rose Garden.
A Body Is Found in a Roadside Ditch
The next morning, October 15, a man was walking along a wooded road roughly 30 minutes from the Rose Garden.
He noticed a pair of women’s boots sticking out from a pile of branches in a ditch.
At first, he thought the boots might be worth something. But when he moved closer, he saw skin and clothing.
The boots belonged to a woman.
He immediately climbed out of the ditch and called the police.
About 30 minutes later, Colonel Joel Ferry of the local criminal investigations unit arrived with crime scene technicians.
The victim was lying face down. Her hands were tied behind her back with a belt.
There was no identification in her pockets.
When investigators turned the body over, they saw that her face had been severely disfigured. She appeared to have suffered repeated blows to the head.
There was a large amount of blood around her head, but little blood elsewhere in the ditch. This suggested that she had probably been killed somewhere else before her body was dumped there.
Investigators also found scratches on her hands, indicating that she may have fought with her attacker.
A heavy branch was discovered about 50 yards away. Blood was smeared across one end.
It appeared to be the murder weapon.
The Victim Is Identified
By October 16, investigators had identified the victim as Nathalie Villermet.
Her boyfriend, Marc Destrebecq, had reported her missing the previous morning.
An autopsy confirmed that Nathalie had been beaten to death. The heavy branch found near the body was believed to have caused the fatal injuries.
Investigators initially considered whether Nathalie had also been sexually assaulted. However, the forensic examination did not find physical evidence supporting that conclusion.
The investigation now focused on finding whoever had killed her and determining why.
Two pieces of evidence immediately stood out: the belt used to bind her hands and the blood-covered branch.
But investigators were also searching for Nathalie’s missing white van.
Marc Destrebecq Becomes a Suspect
Marc was naturally one of the first people police questioned.
He told Ferry that Nathalie had called him around 8:30 p.m. to say she was leaving work.
Marc said he went to bed expecting her to arrive home. When he woke up, Nathalie and her van were gone.
He immediately reported her missing.
Marc also said that he and a friend from the bar had searched for Nathalie before receiving the news that her body had been found.
At first, Marc appeared deeply upset. He was pale, shaky and repeatedly broke down in tears.
But investigators noticed a problem with his story.
Marc claimed he had been asleep when Nathalie disappeared.
There was nobody who could confirm that.
Ferry also questioned Marc about his relationship with Nathalie. He asked about arguments, money problems and possible infidelity.
Marc denied serious problems. He said they were happy and were even discussing marriage after 25 years together.
For the moment, however, Marc remained a suspect.
Patrice Was the Last Person Known to See Nathalie Alive
During the interview, Marc mentioned something important.
Nathalie’s bartender, Patrice, had been with her when she left the Rose Garden.
This was the first time Ferry learned that Nathalie had not left the bar alone.
Police immediately needed to speak with Patrice.
Patrice confirmed that Nathalie had driven him to his girlfriend’s home that night.
He said Nathalie dropped him off, drove away and that was the last time he saw her.
Because Patrice was the last known person to see Nathalie alive, investigators collected his DNA and contacted his girlfriend to verify his story.
Patrice cooperated.
He told Ferry that he owed Nathalie a great deal because she had given him a job and somewhere to live when he had been struggling.
But Ferry was still suspicious.
When asked whether Nathalie had been having problems with anyone, Patrice quickly named Bruno Marton.
That made Bruno another important suspect.
Bruno Marton Had a Possible Motive
Bruno was a heavy drinker who had frequently clashed with Nathalie.
A week before the murder, Nathalie had caught him taking money from the cash register. She had thrown him out of the bar and banned him from returning.
That gave Bruno an obvious reason to resent her.
There was another important detail.
Nathalie had taken the cash from the register with her when she left the Rose Garden. That money was missing from the crime scene.
Robbery was therefore a possible motive.
When Ferry questioned Bruno, he became angry and defensive.
Bruno denied stealing from Nathalie and said the situation had simply been a cash register discrepancy.
He admitted that he and Nathalie did not get along, but denied killing her.
He claimed he had spent the night alone in his room.
When Ferry asked for a DNA sample, Bruno initially appeared unhappy. But he eventually agreed.
Police now had three major suspects.
- Marc Destrebecq, Nathalie’s boyfriend, had a weak and unconfirmed alibi.
- Patrice Chevalier, the bartender, had been the last person known to see Nathalie alive.
- Bruno Marton had a history of conflict with Nathalie and a possible motive for robbery.
Investigators needed physical evidence to separate them.
Nathalie’s White Van Provides a Major Break
About a week later, on October 24, investigators found Nathalie’s missing white van.
It had been abandoned roughly five miles from where her body was discovered.
Inside and on the front of the vehicle, investigators found a large amount of blood.
Blood-spatter analysis provided an important clue.
The blood on the front of the van had been sprayed onto the hood and grill. This suggested that Nathalie’s heart was still beating when the blood was released.
The blood inside the back of the van was different. It appeared to have leaked rather than sprayed.
That suggested Nathalie was already dead when her body was placed inside.
The evidence gave investigators a clearer picture of what had happened.
Nathalie appeared to have been attacked near her van. After she died, her body was placed in the back of the vehicle. The killer then drove the van to a remote location, dumped her body and later abandoned the vehicle.
But the evidence still did not identify the killer.
Two Suspects Have Strong Alibis
Investigators continued checking the suspects’ stories.
Bruno’s alibi became stronger when police discovered several phone calls had been made from his room during the night.
Unless someone else had used his room, Bruno appeared to have stayed there.
Patrice’s girlfriend also confirmed his story. She said he had arrived at her apartment soon after leaving the Rose Garden.
That left Patrice with very little time to kill Nathalie, transport her body, abandon the van and return.
Marc’s alibi remained much weaker.
He said he had been asleep, but nobody could confirm it.
By elimination, Marc was beginning to look increasingly suspicious.
Then the crime laboratory returned its first major result.
DNA Is Found on the Belt
Several weeks after the murder, in November 2010, investigators received the DNA results from the belt used to bind Nathalie’s hands.
DNA had been found on the belt.
It belonged to one of the three suspects.
The suspect was Patrice Chevalier.
When Ferry confronted Patrice, the bartender turned pale and covered his face with his hands.
For a moment, it appeared that he might confess.
Instead, Patrice revealed what he claimed was a secret relationship with Nathalie.
He said they had been sleeping together for weeks before her death.
According to Patrice, Nathalie had been unhappy with Marc because she believed he was cheating on her. Patrice claimed this had led Nathalie to become interested in him.
It was a convenient explanation for why his DNA was on the belt.
Ferry did not immediately believe the story.
But he could not ignore it either.
If Nathalie really had been having an affair with Patrice, and if Marc knew about it, Marc could have had a powerful motive for murder.
The case had suddenly become more complicated.
Police Investigate Marc’s Possible Affair
Ferry needed to determine whether Patrice had told the truth about Marc.
He obtained authorization to monitor Marc’s phone.
The wiretap produced an important discovery.
Investigators recorded conversations between Marc and another woman. The conversations suggested that they had been involved for some time.
In one call, Marc complained that he had always been the one traveling to see the woman and suggested that it was time for her to visit him.
She ended the conversation by calling him “my love.”
The discovery changed Ferry’s view of the case.
Patrice’s claim that Marc had been unfaithful suddenly appeared more believable.
Marc now had a possible motive.
He also still had no confirmed alibi for the night Nathalie died.
But there was a problem.
Investigators had no physical evidence connecting Marc to the murder.
His DNA was not found on the belt, the body, the murder weapon or the van.
Ferry could not arrest him based only on suspicion.
The Case Turns Back Toward Patrice
Even though Marc now looked suspicious, Ferry had not forgotten Patrice.
Patrice’s DNA had been found on the belt used to bind Nathalie’s hands.
His explanation was that he and Nathalie had been lovers.
But there was still no independent evidence that such an affair existed.
Bruno also remained in the investigation because the missing cash had never been recovered.
Ferry now had three suspects, but none could yet be conclusively tied to the murder.
Then he focused on one person who could potentially settle the question.
Patrice’s girlfriend.
Patrice’s Girlfriend Finally Tells the Truth
Ferry brought Patrice’s girlfriend back to the police station.
Initially, she had confirmed Patrice’s alibi.
But this time, Ferry kept questioning her.
Eventually, she admitted that Patrice had asked her to lie to police.
The timing of that lie was critical.
Patrice had not asked her to cover for him after the murder.
He had contacted her hours before Nathalie was killed.
He had told her what to say to investigators.
That meant Patrice had apparently planned an alibi before the murder even happened.
The discovery changed the entire case.
Investigators now had evidence that Patrice had planned for police questioning before Nathalie was killed.
Investigators Search Patrice’s Room
After Patrice’s girlfriend changed her story, investigators searched his room at the Rose Garden.
They found several hidden cell phones.
The phones contained dozens of photographs of Nathalie.
The pictures had apparently been taken secretly. Some were captured from behind her or from beneath tables.
The images showed that Patrice had been secretly watching and photographing Nathalie for some time.
His story about a romantic relationship began to fall apart.
There was no evidence that Patrice and Nathalie had actually been lovers.
Instead, investigators believed Patrice had been obsessed with her.
The affair story had served another purpose: it provided an explanation for why his DNA was found on the belt used to bind her.
What Police Believe Happened to Nathalie
Based on the forensic evidence and witness testimony, investigators reconstructed the murder.
Patrice had apparently planned the attack in advance.
He obtained a heavy branch that could be used as a weapon and made arrangements to support his planned alibi.
When Nathalie finished work and walked toward her van, Patrice attacked her.
She fought back.
During the struggle, the cash pouch containing the bar’s earnings fell from her pocket.
Patrice tied her hands with her own belt.
He also attempted to silence her with her scarf.
When that failed, he used the heavy branch to strike her repeatedly.
Nathalie eventually died from her injuries.
Blood was left across the front of the van, supporting the conclusion that she was still alive when the attack occurred there.
Afterward, Patrice placed her body in the back of the van and drove away.
He eventually stopped at a remote roadside location and dumped her body into a ditch.
He covered the body with branches.
He then drove the van several miles away and abandoned it.
The missing cash was also never recovered.
By around 5:00 a.m., Patrice had begun making his way back toward the Rose Garden.
Later that morning, when Marc arrived and said Nathalie was missing, Patrice volunteered to help search for her.
The man who had allegedly killed Nathalie was now helping look for her.
How Police Identified Nathalie’s Killer
The investigation came together through several pieces of evidence rather than one single clue.
DNA on the Belt
Patrice’s DNA was found on the belt used to bind Nathalie’s hands.
His explanation was that he and Nathalie had been having an affair.
Investigators later found evidence that this story was false.
The False Alibi
Patrice’s girlfriend initially gave him an alibi.
She later admitted that Patrice had instructed her to lie.
More importantly, he had apparently given her those instructions before the murder.
That strongly suggested planning.
The Hidden Cell Phones
Police found hidden phones in Patrice’s room.
They contained numerous secret photographs of Nathalie.
The photographs supported the idea that Patrice had been watching her and was obsessed with her.
The Blood Evidence
The blood found on Nathalie’s van helped investigators establish that the attack occurred near the vehicle and that her body was transported after her death.
This supported the broader reconstruction of the crime.
Patrice Chevalier Is Convicted
The evidence ultimately pointed to Patrice Chevalier.
He had been close to Nathalie. She had given him a job and a place to live when he needed help.
He was also the last known person to leave with her.
His DNA was found on the belt.
His girlfriend had lied for him.
Investigators found hidden phones containing secret photographs of Nathalie.
And his claim that he and Nathalie had been lovers turned out to be fabricated.
Patrice Chevalier was ultimately convicted of murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
What Made the Case So Difficult?
The investigation was complicated because several people initially had plausible motives or suspicious circumstances.
Marc had a possible affair and no confirmed alibi.
Bruno had a history of conflict with Nathalie and had recently been caught taking money from her register.
Patrice was the last person known to have seen Nathalie alive, but he initially appeared cooperative.
For investigators, the challenge was not simply finding someone who looked suspicious. They had to determine which pieces of evidence could actually connect a suspect to the murder.
The case shows why investigators cannot always rely on appearances or first impressions.
A grieving boyfriend can look suspicious.
An angry tenant can have a motive.
A cooperative witness can be hiding something.
In Nathalie’s case, the decisive clues came from forensic evidence, alibi checks, phone records and the statements of people close to the suspects.
The Final Twist in Nathalie’s Murder
The most disturbing part of the case was not simply that Patrice was the last person to see Nathalie alive.
It was that he appeared to have planned an explanation for his involvement before the murder happened.
His girlfriend was prepared to provide an alibi.
His DNA on the belt could be explained through a fabricated affair.
And after Nathalie disappeared, Patrice joined the search for her.
But investigators kept testing the story.
The DNA led them to Patrice. His story led them toward Marc. The investigation into Marc revealed an apparent affair, but that did not prove he had killed Nathalie.
Then Patrice’s girlfriend finally told the truth.
The hidden phones provided another piece of evidence showing his obsession with Nathalie.
Together, those clues exposed the story Patrice had created.
Nathalie had trusted him enough to give him a job, a room and a ride home. In the end, the person she had helped was the person investigators determined had murdered her.
The case was ultimately solved not by one dramatic confession, but by investigators continuing to test every alibi and explanation until the contradictions became impossible to ignore.