SAINT-LÉGER-EN-YVELINES — 1979 · Suspicious Death
The Death of Minister Robert Boulin
French Labour Minister Robert Boulin was found dead in a shallow pond in the Rambouillet forest on 30 October 1979, days after press reports linked him to a property deal. The investigation of the time recorded the death as suicide by drowning. His family always disputed this, pointing to facial injuries and inconsistencies around the autopsy, and during dismissals of the case in the early 1990s it emerged that biological samples had disappeared. A new judicial investigation for murder was opened in Versailles in 2015. In 2026 the file was transferred to the cold-case unit in Nanterre.
- Date
- 1979
- Place
- Yvelines, France, Saint-Léger-en-Yvelines, FR
- Category
- Suspicious Death
- Case Status
- Under Investigation
- Coordinates
- 48.6800, 1.7900 ↗
Timeline of Events
- 30 October 1979Boulin was found dead in a pond in the Rambouillet forest.
- 1991-1992The case was dismissed twice.
- 2015A new murder investigation was opened in Versailles.
- April 2026The file was transferred to the Nanterre cold-case unit.
- June 2026Three judges were appointed to lead the inquiry.
Sources
- franceinfo — La justice rouvre le dossier Robert Boulin franceinfo.fr ↗
- Infos Yvelines — Robert Boulin : cold case, juges de Nanterre infosyvelines.fr ↗
- franceinfo
- Infos Yvelines
Source grade B: at least one verifiable linked source. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.