COLD CASE Justice for Christelle
Reader's Digest India|December 2022
For 18 years, a pair of maverick lawyers helped a mother hunt for her daughter's killer
Lucy Ash
COLD CASE Justice for Christelle

Christelle Blétry quickly adjusted her hair in the mirror, then shouted "Goodbye!" to her parents, Marie-Rose and Gilles, before slamming the front door. It was cold that evening of 27 December 1996, and the 20-year-old with a dark bob and wide smile, wearing the new jeans she got for Christmas, looked forward to spending some time with her friends.

Christel le, her parents, and younger siblings lived in the small town of Blanzy, near the Burgundy wine routes of east-central France. She loved tennis, dancing in nightclubs and ballads by Celine Dion and French singer-songwriter JeanJacques Goldman. She volunteered for the Restos du Coeur charity and was planning to train in Lyon as a paediatric nurse.

That evening, Christelle hung out at her friend Séverine’s apartment in the town centre, along with three guys who were also close friends, enjoying a movie and chatting over potato chips and a few beers. At about midnight, as Christelle headed out for the 15-minute walk home, she said her goodbyes. It was the last time she was seen alive.

“Talk to her friends again,” the officer advised Marie-Rose Blétry when she called the police the next morning. He sounded bored. But Christelle’s mother was in a panic after finding her daughter’s bed empty. She called the hospitals and probed Séverine.

“Christelle said she was worried about her ex-boyfriend who was stalking her,” Séverine told Marie-Rose who, now desperately anxious, called the police several more times. Finally, they asked her to come to the station.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM READER'S DIGEST INDIAView all
From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi
Reader's Digest India

From the King's Table to Street Food: A Food History of Delhi

Pushpesh Pant, one of India’s pre-eminent food writers, is back with a comprehensive food history of the capital.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
Who Wants Coffee?
Reader's Digest India

Who Wants Coffee?

It’s bitter—but beloved around the world

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024
Prevent The Pain Of Shingles
Reader's Digest India

Prevent The Pain Of Shingles

You don't have to suffer, as long as you take two important steps

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart
Reader's Digest India

The Best And Worst Diets For Your Heart

Dozens of diets are touted as ‘best’, but it’s easy to lose track of the fact that healthy eating needs to be about overall wellness, not just weight loss.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
ME & MY SHELF
Reader's Digest India

ME & MY SHELF

Journalist Sopan Joshi has worked in a science and environment framework for nearly three decades. His book Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango (Aleph Book Company) synthesizes the sensory appeal of India's favourite fruit with its elaborate cultural roots and natural history. He writes in English and Hindi.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
SWITCHED
Reader's Digest India

SWITCHED

In 1962, nurses at a small Canadian hospital sent home two women with the wrong babies. Then, 50 years later, their children discovered the shocking mistake.

time-read
10+ mins  |
October 2024
ECHOES OF THE PAST
Reader's Digest India

ECHOES OF THE PAST

A VISIT TO THE ANCIENT BARABAR CAVES IN BIHAR REVEALS A SURPRISING CONNECTION TO A LITERARY CLASSIC

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024
Fathers of the Bride
Reader's Digest India

Fathers of the Bride

A young woman finds a unique way to honour the many men who helped her survive her childhood

time-read
8 mins  |
October 2024
Fiction's Foresight
Reader's Digest India

Fiction's Foresight

British-Bangladeshi author Manzu Islam's works reveal startling parallels to recent political upheavals in Bangladesh, begging the question: Besides helping us make sense of our world, can stories also offer a glimpse into the future?

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
It Happens ONLY IN INDIA
Reader's Digest India

It Happens ONLY IN INDIA

The Divine Defence Picture this: A tractor in Rajasthan‘s Banswara district,a group of loan agents closing in to seize it and the defaulting farmer and his family standing by.

time-read
2 mins  |
October 2024