SKIBBEREEN, Ireland – A British man who was convicted in absentia by a French court for the 1996 murder of a French film producer’s wife in Ireland has passed away at the age of 66, his lawyer confirmed. Ian Bailey, a former journalist, had long denied any involvement in the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, which took place near her vacation home in West Cork.
Bailey’s conviction in absentia in 2019 by the Paris Criminal Court stirred up international attention, especially since no forensic evidence linked him to the crime scene. The murder of Toscan du Plantier, who was married to a well-known French film producer, Daniel Toscan du Plantier, had remained a topic of interest, with the case being the subject of a popular podcast series and two TV documentaries, including one on Netflix.
Toscan du Plantier’s brutalized body was discovered with around 50 wounds outside her home in West Cork, leading to widespread media coverage and public interest. Bailey, who lived nearby and had been tasked with reporting on the killing for a national paper, was arrested twice in relation to the murder but was released without charge due to lack of evidence linking him to the crime.
Bailey’s lawyer confirmed his death, citing a severe heart condition as the cause. The news of Bailey’s passing comes as the victim’s family had long pushed for him to stand trial in France for the murder. French authorities can investigate crimes against French citizens committed outside of its borders, although they cannot insist that witnesses travel for questioning.
Despite his insistence on innocence, Bailey’s actions continued to cast suspicion upon him in West Cork for more than two decades. His allegations of wrongful arrest and police corruption were not substantiated in a subsequent review by the Irish policing watchdog, and no one else has ever been charged with the murder.
The death of Bailey may mark the end of a long-standing and contentious chapter in the unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, leaving lingering questions and unresolved doubt in its wake.