Murder in a 2CV

On February 28, 1985 Evelyne Laborde and Bruno Joushomme, newly married, had an accident in their Citroën 2CV in the Bois de Meudon forest. The car left the road, came to a stop on the shoulder, and burst into flames. Bruno Joushomme survived, but his wife, Evelyne, remained trapped inside.

At first, the police believed it was an accident… But this unusual couple aroused suspicion: he was young, 22, rather handsome, cultured, full of dreams and ideals; she was 62, strong, an alcoholic, and wealthy…

The story was covered in the French TV series ‘Fait’es Entre L’Accusé (Bring in the accused) presented by Christophe Hondelatte. This is the video teaser:

And here is the 1 hour episode on the subject:

Full Details

The Bruno Joushomme case is a French criminal case in which Évelyne Laborde, 62, born in Névez (Finistère) on August 14, 1923, was allegedly murdered in Chaville on February 28, 1985, by her husband Bruno, 22. Bruno Joushomme was sentenced in 1998 to life imprisonment for this murder. He has maintained his innocence for over 20 years and claims that his ex-wife died in a car accident.

Bruno Joushomme was born on May 14, 1962, in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne. He has a brother named Patrick.

The Facts and the Investigation

Bruno and Évelyne married on December 7, 1984. Their marriage was governed by a separation of property agreement, and the couple executed a deed of gift to the surviving spouse before a notary on January 11, 1985.

On February 28, 1985, in the late afternoon, on a small road in the Meudon forest, just outside Chaville, Évelyne Laborde was driving a Citroën 2CV belonging to Bruno’s parents.

She hadn’t driven for thirty years. The car hit an embankment, stopped a few centimeters from a tree, and burst into flames almost immediately. Bruno Joushomme managed to get out of the car. He couldn’t open Évelyne’s door, which was locked inside. She was burned beyond recognition.

Four days later, Bruno Joushomme was summoned to the police station for a routine statement. This led to the closure of the investigation the following day. Bruno Joushomme thus inherited his wife’s real estate assets. The total value was estimated at four million francs (equivalent to €1,280,000 in 2026).

Investigations were carried out by the Laborde family, and new evidence emerged. On March 12, 1985, the public prosecutor’s office opened a judicial inquiry to determine the cause of death.

An autopsy of Évelyne and an expert examination of the car were ordered (the report concerning the car was submitted in April 1985). Évelyne’s family then filed a complaint for murder.

In the following months, the police placed Bruno Joushomme, as well as his mother and his brother Patrick, under surveillance. They intercepted a conversation between the two brothers: Bruno asked Patrick if he knew a French murderer, to which Patrick replied that he did, whose initials began with B and J.

Meanwhile, the first autopsy of Évelyne Laborde’s body revealed a fractured larynx.

A ten-year Investigation

On September 10, 1985, the Joushommes were arrested at their home and taken into custody. During the 48-hour interrogation, young Bruno irritated Divisional Inspector Bernard Laithier. According to Bruno Joushomme, he wanted to force him to confess to the murder.

On September 12, 1985, Bruno Joushomme was formally charged with murder and imprisoned. His mother and brother were released from the police station.

On November 4, 1986, he was released. The fractured larynx of Ms. Laborde was determined to have occurred during the autopsy.

The investigation continued. In 1987, the 2CV was destroyed. In January 1989, Évelyne’s body was about to be exhumed. One of the forensic pathologists forgot to sign his report. The exhumation was canceled.

Bruno Joushomme continued his studies in philosophy, obtaining a Master’s degree in 1989. At university, he met Marie-Claude.

In February 1991, the investigating judge forwarded the case to the investigating chamber for the purpose of indicting Bruno Joushomme before the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court.

On April 10, 1991, the investigating chamber sent the case back, considering that there was insufficient evidence against him. The investigating judge left the court in October 1991.

In October 1992, a new autopsy of Évelyne Laborde’s body was conducted: it revealed nothing new, and the condition of the body had deteriorated.

Bruno Joushomme earned a doctorate in philosophy in 1993. He traveled extensively and became a father to a little boy in 1994. His marriage deteriorated, and Marie-Claude left him.

On February 21, 1995, a reconstruction of the crime took place.

In the fall of 1995, Bruno Joushomme was committed for trial before the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court. The length of the investigation was exceptional: a suspect was identified and indicted for 10 years (or even 13 years, at the time the trial began).

Trial and Conviction

On November 16, 1998, the trial of Bruno Joushomme with the accused now 36 years old, tired and depressed since his partner left him.

On November 20, 1998, Bruno Joushomme was sentenced to life imprisonment without appeal after 14 years of legal proceedings. He proclaimed his innocence: “I am simply the victim of an inheritance fraud orchestrated by the family of the woman who wanted to disinherit him by marrying me.” He denounced the police officer in charge of the case, Inspector Laithier, who was allegedly offended by his inability to obtain a confession. Laithier accused Bruno Joushomme during the trial, in a clearly biased manner: no physical evidence was submitted to the investigation file.

His brother, Patrick Joushomme, stated that he had suspicions about Bruno. These suspicions stemmed in part from the results of Évelyne Laborde’s autopsy. Investigators presented them to him (Patrick being a doctor), notably the fractured larynx (leading to the hypothesis of strangulation), which was later refuted.

His lawyer, Jean-Marc Florand, who exonerated Patrick Dils and took over the case in 2002, declared: “It was an accident, and we will prove it.” (Patrick Dils is a French victim of a miscarriage of justice. He was accused of the murder of two boys in Montigny-lès-Metz, in Moselle on 30 April 1987, at the age of 16. On 27 January 1989, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder. On 24 April 2002 after spending 15 years in prison, he was exonerated. The French government gave him one million euros for judicial mistake.)

The Aftermath

The evidence (or lack thereof) is at the heart of the debates in this case: no physical evidence incriminates Bruno Joushomme. The verdict of the Hauts-de-Seine Assize Court was based on the jury’s personal conviction.

The case remains shrouded in mystery in the press and among some members of the public. Among the troubling elements: the age difference; When they married, he was 22 and she was 62. Furthermore, they signed a will stipulating that everything would be passed on to the surviving spouse a few weeks after the wedding. Évelyne Laborde’s family criticized her for leaving everything to her husband should she predecease him. In a letter, Évelyne thanked them for being concerned about her “afterlife, when they never cared about [her] present.”

In 1998, Bruno Joushomme was sentenced to life imprisonment. After 20 years of incarceration, he applied for parole. His application was denied.

He was released on parole in 2020. He continues to maintain his innocence.