Unsolved Murder of Ginette Naime: Public Call for Witnesses
Twenty-four years since the harrowing murder of Ginette Naime, the Serial or Unsolved Crime Unit (PCSNE) of the Nanterre judicial court is seeking the public's assistance. The 46-year-old woman’s lifeless body was found on April 13, 2000, on a trail in the Gros Cerveau massif in Ollioules (Var), with multiple stab wounds.
The call for witnesses, which was highlighted by Nanterre's public prosecutor, Pascal Prache, in a video on the Ministry of the Interior’s website, describes the circumstances of that fateful day. Walkers discovered Naime's body and reported seeing a suspicious individual fleeing the scene. Just moments earlier, this individual had been seen on the Gros Cerveau road in Ollioules, fleeing upon the sight of the walkers.
The Central Office for the Repression of Violence against Persons (OCRVP) reported that Ginette Naime was last seen at the municipal social action center of La Seyne-sur-Mer around 2:30 p.m. that day. An employee from the center recalled hearing a woman scream and saw, through a window, a woman in a car’s passenger seat knocking on the window before the vehicle drove away.
Further investigation revealed that Naime made two money withdrawals from the BNP bank in La Seyne-sur-Mer after leaving the social center. A witness noticed a man watching her during these transactions. Naime's body was discovered at 3:35 p.m., and witnesses promptly informed the police, providing descriptions of the fleeing suspect. The vehicle used in the crime was located a week later, abandoned.
This ongoing cold case saw an initial judicial investigation by the Toulon public prosecutor's office between 2000 and 2008, followed by a second investigation from 2016 to 2020. In the summer of 2022, the PCSNE resumed the case, tasking the OCRVP with continuing the investigation. Despite these efforts, the perpetrator remains unidentified.
The latest call for witnesses is part of a strategy to engage the public for new leads, with the cold case unit employing media-inspired methods for broader outreach. The prosecutor’s office emphasizes that public testimonies are crucial for advancing the investigation. Witnesses described the suspect as a Mediterranean man, around forty years old, approximately 1.75 meters tall, weighing about 80 kg, and with significant bloodstains on his clothes.
This tactic has yielded results before. In early June, a 28-year-old man was apprehended and charged for the 2014 murder of Micheline Grandin, thanks to new evidence and public feedback. The Nanterre judicial court hopes for similar breakthroughs in the Naime case.
- The PCSNE's approach to solving cold cases through public involvement is a novel strategy inspired by the formats of news programs. Engaging the community not only helps in gathering critical information but also keeps the victims' stories alive in public consciousness.
- Public participation has been instrumental in recent successful investigations. Authorities encourage those with any knowledge, regardless of how trivial it may seem, to come forward. The renewed public interest can provide fresh leads and perspectives that investigators might not have previously considered.
