Sophie Narme Case: Body Exhumed for DNA in Probe of Suspect Dominique Pelicot

Overview

• The victim’s remains, exhumed Tuesday in Yvelines, are now being sampled for DNA, with no laboratory findings reported yet.
• The Versailles appeals court authorized the procedure on November 7, 2025 after an initial refusal, acting on a defense request to look for traces that could exclude Pelicot.
• Investigators say chances of finding usable genetic material are slim after 35 years, as key items vanished, including the strangulation belt and sperm samples from the original case file.
• Pelicot has been under formal investigation since October 2022 in this killing because its details mirror a 1999 assault tied to him by DNA, including forced ether exposure and similar undressing.
• The Nanterre cold-case unit now oversees the analyses, and the victim’s family says they await results while Pelicot maintains his denial.