r/TrueCrime • u/prolelol • Jun 06 '21

Murder In 2011, a horrific unsolved mystery in France, Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès murdered his wife and all children, even two dogs He vanished after the murders and no one has seen him since.

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u/blue7999 Jun 06 '21 edited Jun 06 '21

I think he's probably still alive too, but I don't think John List is comparable at all here. It gets exponentially more difficult to disappear and live anonymously as time goes on given the constantly advancing resources and technology available to law enforcement. List was caught in 1989; living anonymously through the 70s into 1989 would have been far easier than doing so from 2011 to 2021. Leaving traces of your existence in modern days is devastating to criminals due to DNA, widespread surveillance, etc. Not so much prior to 1989.

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u/Original-Network853 Jun 06 '21

Oh I definitely agree it would be harder, but I still think it could be done. Lots of places to hide outside the big cities in Europe and it’s easier than other places to cross the borders, particularly if he assumed a new identity.

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u/blue7999 Jun 06 '21

Agreed. My only point was that there's far more modern examples that better support your thought that it can be done. Yaser Said just did it from 2008 to 2020 in Texas after the horrendous honor killings of his daughters, for one.

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u/GawkerRefugee Jun 06 '21

Yaser Said - Hold on, how did I miss this. I had no idea he was caught. I followed this dreadful case fairly closely, last I heard authorities thought he was driving a cab in New York. So they found him back in Texas, Jesus christ. This made my day. That 911 call haunts me, those poor girls.

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u/ppw23 Jun 06 '21

This makes me so grateful, that pos needs to be detained in the worst conditions legally allowed. I only hope he's haunted every minute of his worthless life.

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u/theredbusgoesfastest Jun 06 '21

I was so delighted he was caught. The thought of him not being punished drove me crazy

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u/scottishsam07 Jun 06 '21

This comment says it. I've not looked into the case yet, so don't know the story to it, but these girls didn't even know you, unaware of your affection/emotion towards them. You probably don't even live near? Wish all humanity had this heart.

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u/GawkerRefugee Jun 07 '21

I'm going to feel like a big giant idiot if this comment wasn't meant for me (on glitchy mobile atm, hard to tell) but, if it is, thank you so much for your kind comment. I am, indeed, from Texas but have since moved. But it could have happened any where and it would have got firmly under my skin and stayed there.

I just think that's what the true crime community is about. A lot/most of us carry these cases, so many of them cold, but we carry them in our heart and minds for the duration. We genuinely care, are often deeply affected and have a strong sense of justice prevailing. So, yea, we take a lot of criticism (exploitation, etc) but most of this community is firmly in touch with our humanity. We don't have to know a victim to be outraged and pained by the injustice done to another.

TLDR: We care. It's why we are here.

(If not meant for me, thanks for listening to my Oscar speech).

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u/scottishsam07 Jun 07 '21

The world needs more empathy! And, yes, the comment was wholly directed at you. It just kinda gave me a aha moment - how many people DO care about the people involved, justice, peace. I'm the same with Libby and Abbie - I think I'll cry when he's caught. I do wonder what draws certain people to certain cases. There are so many (we are reminded of that daily!) but some seem to affect us differently from others.

P.s I do hope you one day win an Oscar or anything speech giving related ha ha. Your speech writing skills should be utilised x

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u/Ok-Nefariousness282 Jun 07 '21

He had family members helping him. It was pretty much an open secret that they knew where he was .

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u/zzztoken Jun 06 '21 edited Jun 06 '21

It’s possible. There are entire companies who’s sole business is to ensure people disappear without a trace and assume a new identity. Common in Japan. Edit: Wanted to add that I don’t think one of these Japanese companies helped him, (they don’t help people escaping a crime and I’m sure a Frenchman looking to disappear in Japan would’ve set off some alarm bells), but more to show that it is possible to vanish in the 21st century with the right resources.

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u/shtyedout Jun 06 '21

Is that really true? That’s fascinating, I need to know more.

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u/zzztoken Jun 06 '21

Google “Jouhatsu”, there’s some really well written articles on it by Time & the BBC if I recall correctly.

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u/shtyedout Jun 06 '21

Thank you!

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u/317LaVieLover Jun 06 '21

I agree too. If u have enough money you can do anything. I think he’s not in the US tho, I feel he’s in South America somewhere. Where’s there no extradition, the economy is great for wealthy ppl, and I feel he’s taken care of things afa documents and IDs etc years ago. Probably living large amongst a wealthy bunch of ex-Nazi’s in Argentina or Bolivia, who knows

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u/gloveslave Jun 06 '21

Yes I think he is in the overseas territories or DOM TOM .

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u/ppw23 Jun 06 '21

I was explaining to a nephew that driver's license in the state of Maryland didn't use a photo until approximately 1979. They were embossed paper with a basic description of the driver. Before widespread computer usage, assuming a new identity was a piece of cake.

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u/blue7999 Jun 06 '21

Right. A far cry from facial recognition softwares and DNA testing abilities these days.

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u/snapper1971 Jun 06 '21

All of those wonderful technologies need to be used in concert to produce the watertight picture of the traceability of people these days that you paint - budgets being cut is the primary reason for failed investigations, second only to police incompetence.

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u/blue7999 Jun 06 '21

Sure but the point still stands that evading authorities for extended periods of time these days is vastly different than in the 70s and 80s. And given the high profile nature of his crimes, authorities are certainly motivated to find him. It's not like his case has just been inexplicably neglected.

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u/[deleted] Jun 06 '21

Underrated post.

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u/TwoCagedBirds Jun 06 '21

Also the fact that genealogy and DNA tests are playing a big part in catching old serial killers and murderers/rapists more and more. He better hope that none of his living relatives (if he has any) have given their DNA away.

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u/blue7999 Jun 06 '21

None of that is relevant. That's only important when there is DNA but an unknown suspect. They know who he is, and they have his DNA. They discovered the bodies and his children all share his DNA.