Two men appeared in court on Monday after more than 20 years on the run, admitting to the brutal murder of a Frenchman in 2003.
The body of salesman Philippe Charuel was found in February 2003 in a roadside ditch in Gondreville, eastern France.
According to the investigation, on the night of February 19, 2003, two young prostitutes reported Chael harassing them as they were leaving a bar near the train station in Nancy.
He was then picked up in a black BMW by two men, later identified as Christian Rad and Vasil Ostas.
According to Spanish police, the two fugitives were involved in pimping and were arrested near Barcelona in August 2023 after about 22 years in hiding.
They had lived in Catalonia under false identities for about 20 years. According to Le Parisien newspaper, Rado is a father of two and works as a concierge at a luxury hotel, while Ostas becomes a security guard.
Ostas’ lawyer Eléonore Dupleix told France 3 that her client has not yet been charged.
“We’ll see what they say at the hearing, both sides,” Dupleix said.
The two had already been sentenced in absentia in 2011 to 30 years in prison and 26 years in prison.
Ostas, a 52-year-old Romanian national, told the court he had “acknowledged” the facts and said repeatedly that he was “sorry.”
“I hit him, but I didn’t want him to die,” he said of Chael. He asks for forgiveness from the “victim’s family” and “French society.”
Mr Ostas’ 40-year-old nephew Mr Lado also admitted hitting the victim “with my hands” in the presence of the two women and his uncle.
“I saw a lot of violence. It was a shock for me too. I thought a lot about[Shael’s family]all night,” he said.
Chael is described as a “man with no past” who frequented nightclubs, had recently separated from his wife and was the father of a young child.
Presiding Judge Thérèse Diligent said the body had 20 wounds on its abdomen, several broken ribs, and “numerous wounds and injuries” on its face, including a broken jaw and missing teeth.
A verdict is expected on Friday.
