Ille-et-Vilaine. Murder of Anthony, 46, whose body was found partially charred: what we know

The partially charred body of Anthony G., 46, was discovered on August 23 by a walker in La Chapelle Erbrée (Ille-et-Vilaine). His funeral will take place on Saturday. Two men are currently in pretrial detention. Here's what we know about the case.

A punitive expedition gone wrong? According to the first elements of the investigation, revealed this week by the Rennes public prosecutor, Frédéric Teillet, two men went to the home of Anthony G., 46, living in Argentré-du-Plessis, on the evening of Friday, August 22. (Ille-et-Vilaine). They took him by force in a car and then engaged in "violence that could be considered acts of torture and barbarity." The next morning, the body of the forty-year-old was found "partially charred, the back of the skull showing a large, deep gash incompatible with an accidental fall, the jaw fractured, and the rest of the head showing multiple lacerations and wounds." The victim was identified "thanks to his mobile phone found at the scene, which had not completely burned, as well as his tattoos."

Anthony G., 46, was an accomplished athlete, passionate about mountain biking and endurance. The running and Nordic walking sports association in his town, of which he was a member, posted a message in his memory on social media: "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the death of Anthony (...) in tragic circumstances." One of three siblings - a brother and a sister - he was also a father.

Early Saturday afternoon, a first suspect, aged 37, was arrested, followed by a second, aged 30, on Sunday morning. Placed in police custody on charges of aggravated murder, they were charged on Monday and remanded in custody. They are both known to the courts. The 37-year-old man, who "is subject to a reinforced guardianship measure," has been convicted in the past and "is due to be tried in 2026 for previous acts of violence against the victim." The 30-year-old "has been convicted 10 times, including for traffic offenses, violence, and drug-related offenses," including drug use and trafficking, said Frédéric Teillet, adding that "the motive, which remains to be determined," does not, however, appear to be "related to drug trafficking."