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Six Charged in Deadly Neuves-Maisons Arson, Including Three Minors and Two Inmates

Prosecutors say the blaze was a paid retaliation linked to narcotrafficking debt.

Overview

  • Two inmates, aged 21 and 23, are suspected of ordering the attack from Châlons-en-Champagne prison and have been charged with murder in an organized gang.
  • Two 17-year-olds admitted operational roles, with one saying he doused the building with fuel and lit it and the other acknowledging he drove the vehicle; both are in pre-trial detention.
  • A 21-year-old adult and a 15-year-old minor are under judicial control while investigators determine their precise roles.
  • Investigators used town CCTV, witness statements and forensic work to identify suspects who traveled from the Marne area on a roughly 320 km round trip.
  • The November 30 fire killed five people in one household, and all six suspects face possible life sentences as the probe continues to clarify motives and potential accomplices.