Netflix’s Unsolved Mysteries has had us all on the edge of our seats. However, the third episode of the Netflix docuseries may just be the most shocking yet. “House of Terror” follows the story of Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, a French count who is believed to have murdered his four children, wife and two dogs and then disappeared without a trace. 

The case is said to be one of France’s most shocking and disturbing crimes. But why would a Father commit such a gruesome crime? And where is Xavier now?

What do we know about the case?

In April 2011, authorities discovered the bodies of Dupont de Ligonnès’ wife, Agnès, and their three children, Arthur, Thomas, Anne, and Benoît, buried under the porch of their home. With Dupont de Ligonnès nowhere to be found, he became the prime murder suspect.

All the family members had been shot twice in the head. The gun used was believed to be one Xavier got from his Father’s possessions after he passed away.

Xavier himself was last seen in April 2011, waving at a CCTV camera, near a hotel in France where he abandoned his car. He was carrying what was thought to be the gun he’s believed to have killed his family with. This led police to believe he went to shoot himself with the same gun.

Multiple bodies have been found around the area DuPont De Ligonnès was last seen. However, after DNA testing it was confirmed that none of these bodies were Xavier’s. Police now believe he is on the run.

But how and why would Xavier have committed this gruesome crime?

Crime Scene: Do not cross

Photo by David von Diemar on Unsplash

What really happened?

The exact reason of the murders to this day still remains a mystery. However, like the case of Rey Rivera,  viewers of Netflix Unsolved Mysteries have once again have taken their detective skills to Reddit to discuss their theories on Xavier…

He had an accomplice

Many people believe he may have hired a professional to help him as there was said to be no DNA or fingerprints were found on the bodies. This made it seem like  a very professional murder.

In addition to this, Xavier was known to have complained of a bad back, which would have made it hard for him to move the bodies. It would also have been very difficult for someone to dig holes so deep underneath a porch which was too low for a person to stand. 

He is an informant for the DEA

On the show, we saw after the disappearance that friends and family received letters from Xavier saying the family have moved to America as he is working for the DEA. These letters were said to be a cover up, however, one Reddit theory suggests this letter was not fake after all.

The post claims there’s a possibility the bodies don’t belong to the family, implying that they could still be living together off the grid, after seeing a blog post from the aristocrats family claiming his innocence. The post includes reports of sightings of the family after the date they were reportedly killed.

However, another user pointed out that the DEA is not the authority to stage family murders.

Where is Xavier now?

Since the Xavier was last seen over 9 years ago, there have been over 1000 reported sightings. This is not unlikely as Investigators have pointed out his ‘generic looks.’

In Netflix Unsolved Mysteries we heard Investigators say Xavier will be hard to find as physically he does not stand out. They say he ‘looks a little bit like everyone else’ and that ‘you spot him everywhere and nowhere at the same time.’ 

Nevertheless, the documentary has got viewers on guard…

Xavier’s friends believe he may be in Latin America as he is confident enough in both Spanish and English.

But where have the reported sightings of Xavier been?

France

Since his disappearance, there have been a number of reported sightings of Xavier in his home country. Some believe that Xavier is laying low in France, however others doubt he would be there as it is an ‘insult to his intelligence’.

One reported sighting by church-goers in 2018 led to police raiding a monastery in the village where Dupont de Ligonnès was last seen. However, the person spotted was actually a monk who looked like the aristocrat.

In 2015 a photo was sent to journalists which appeared to be a photo of Xavier’s two sons. On the back of the photos were the words “I am alive”. This was handed over to the Police who requested handwriting analysis and DNA testing on the photo. However no information about Xavier’s whereabouts came from this.

Other parts of the world

In 2019 at Glasgow Airport, Scottish Police actually called French Police saying “we’ve got your man”. However, this was a ‘theatrical misunderstanding.’

After DNA and fingerprint testing, the man previously thought to be Xavier, was released.

There have also been sightings of Xavier since Netflix Unsolved Mysteries aired. Producer Terry Dunn Meurer said in an interview with Variety it was thought that someone from Chicago could have potentially spotted the aristocrat.

“They heard this guy talking French and they looked at him and they had just seen the episode,” Meurer said. “They sent us a photo, and it really did look like Xavier. It was striking. So we sent that tip on. But again, this is just a stranger.”

Anyone who has any information on Xavier’s whereabouts should visit unsolved.com