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At Péchier Trial, Defense Seeks Acquittal, Claims Investigators 'Manufactured a Culprit'

Jurors are poised to weigh a life‑sentence request after a three‑month trial dominated by contested forensic evidence.

Overview

  • Prosecutors last week requested life imprisonment with a 22‑year safety period, describing Frédéric Péchier as a serial killer who used medicine to kill.
  • Defense lawyer Randall Schwerdorffer argued the case rests on a void of proof and said investigators fixated on Péchier instead of exploring other leads.
  • Péchier is accused of poisoning 30 patients between 2008 and 2017 in two Besançon clinics, with 12 deaths, by contaminating infusion bags with potassium, local anesthetics, adrenaline or heparin.
  • After today's defense summation, the accused is expected to address the court once more before deliberations begin, with a verdict due by Friday.
  • The proceedings featured extensive expert testimony and emotional accounts from civil parties, with 27 lawyers representing presumed victims and families.