Dutch man, 50, shot dead in French village; Second body found in torched car
A man found shot to death in the French village of Beaugency late last week was identified as a 50-year-old Dutch man from Schiedam whose family reported him missing a few days later. The man was gunned down in the middle of the street at about 11 p.m., and a few hours later, the charred remains of a French man was found in a car on fire ten kilometers away in the small town of Josnes, according to local news outlet La République du Centre.
Although the two villages are over 130 kilometers south of Paris, a special investigative unit in the capital was placed in charge of both cases. So far, it has not been said whether the two incidents are linked, but extreme violent crime is uncommon in the two locations.
Witnesses told the newspaper they heard a sound like two or three firecrackers being set off at about 11 p.m. on April 3. “Then the sound of a car accelerating. My children’s train was delayed. When they got home, they saw the body,” one Beaugency woman said of the Dutch victim.
Emergency services workers and paramedics arrived on scene and tried to revive the man, but their efforts were in vain. A police investigation continued at the location on Avenue d’Orléans, near the entrance to a local cemetery, well into the morning.
Authorities previously indicated the first victim was a Dutch national, initially saying he was in his forties. Dutch police confirmed to several media outlets on Friday that he was in fact the Schiedam resident reported missing by his family the day after Easter.
“This here is frightening. It is usually a pretty quiet town,” said the woman from Beaugency, where only about 8,000 people reside.
Another unusual incident was reported three hours after the shooting, when witnesses said they saw flames engulf a car at 2 a.m. on April 4. The car was parked in a lot across from the local town hall.
Once the flames were extinguished, the body of a French person was recovered from the vehicle. A forensic investigation continued well into the afternoon.
Police officers reportedly found shell casings at the scene, but authorities in Paris have yet to identify a cause of death. They also have not released information about suspects, including whether any arrests have been made.
“I’ve lived here for 35 years. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like this,” said one Josnes resident to La République du Centre.. “When I learned afterwards that there was a body? I’m still in shock.”
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs told ANP that it was providing the Schiedam man’s family with consular assistance.
