Man in custody over death of French jogger was previously imprisoned twice for rape
DNA of jogger, 28, was found in the man’s car
The man was released last year having spent 20 years in a Corsican prison. Photo for illustrative purposes only
Stephen Barnes / Shutterstock
A man imprisoned on charges related to the death of a young jogger in the south of France has been jailed on two previous occasions for rape, only being released from prison in 2024.
The unnamed male was placed in custody this week in relation to the death of Agathe Hilairet, 28, whose body was found in the woods of rural Vienne in May 2025 after going missing the month before.
The DNA of the victim was found in his car, and he admitted to striking the jogger twice during an altercation but “without intent to kill.”
He has now been charged with ‘murder followed, accompanied or preceded by another crime, namely kidnapping or false imprisonment.”
Two other people have been questioned on a voluntary basis relating to the case.
Sentenced to more than 30 years in prison
The man, born in 1965, was living in the same commune as the victim since being placed there under judicial supervision in 2024.
He worked as an agricultural labourer in another commune around 5 km away.
He is listed on France’s sex offenders register (Fijais, Fichier des auteurs d'infractions sexuelles ou violentes) related to two serious former offences, the Poitiers public prosecutor announced.
In 1994 he was sentenced to 12 years in prison for ‘for rape committed under threat of a weapon’ by a court in Puy-de-Dôme.
In 2004 he was again convicted, this time for “rape committed under threat of a weapon as a repeat offender and sexual assault as a repeat offender.”
It is unclear how he was granted early release from his first sentence.
A 30-year jail sentence, with a minimum of 20 years’ imprisonment, was handed down to him in 2004 following the second rape conviction.
He served this 20-year sentence in Corsica, before being released last year in April 2024 via a sentence amendment, with several conditions attached.
The man has been “under judicial supervision since 5 October 2024 with an order to undergo treatment, reside in a specific location, refrain from contacting the victims [of his former crimes], refrain from possessing a weapon and comply with a work requirement,” according to the Poitiers public prosecutor who is leading the case against him.
The public prosecutor has demanded he be kept in custody until the trial.
