Trigger warning: this article contains descriptions of violence and references to suicide One of the more horrifying episodes of Netflix's "Unsolved Mysteries" reboot (opens in new tab) featured Count Xavier Dupont de Ligonnes and the then-known "House of Horrors" case It takes up the story. Xavier, his wife Agnes, and their children Arthur, Thomas, Anne, and Benoit, a family of French nobility, seemed to be part of a happy and reputable community. But after a prolonged disappearance and mysterious letters, the police found the decomposing bodies of the four children and Agnes under the boarded-up house. All had been drugged and shot twice in the head. The family's two Labradors were also buried with them.

Xavier, who had become a count after his father's death, apparently led a typical life of a French nobleman. That is, until he wrote a lengthy letter to his relatives on behalf of his family (opens in new tab) explaining that he was working for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and that he and his family had been placed under witness protection and could not be contacted. He then disappeared and to this day remains a prime suspect in the murder of his family.

Xavier was of French royal blood; when his father died in early 2011, Xavier inherited a .22 caliber rifle, only to discover that there were no family finances left when dealing with his father's estate. Xavier was already in financial trouble and his business was not doing well. It was later discovered that it was around this time that he learned how to shoot his father's gun and bought a silencer

.

The exact timeline of the murders is not clear, as they were discovered weeks after the family was murdered. The episode speculates that Artur, Anne, Benoit, and Agnes were killed at about the same time on April 3-4 or 4-5, and that Xavier's oldest son Thomas was killed shortly thereafter (the two reportedly went out to dinner (opened on a new tab) on April 4 and barely spoke).

Xavier then drove south. The last image of Xavier is shown with a large bag in which he presumably brought his rifle to Roquebrune-sur-Argens. The surrounding wilderness has caves and abandoned mines, and police speculate that he may have committed suicide. There are also trains and boats in the area, which could have allowed him to escape unnoticed. His body was never found.

There were a few interesting things missing from this episode. Agnes apparently told an online forum (open in new tab) (anonymous) that she was unhappy in her marriage and feared and worried about her "old-fashioned" husband: "The father is the head, he gives the orders, and we carry them out without question or understanding.

She also stated that she had no love or friends and was very worried about the family's financial troubles.

In addition, Xavier allegedly had a mistress (open in new tab) in Paris. He may have used his wife's jewelry, which was missing from the house, to finance his escape. He also purchased quicklime shortly before the murder, which was later found to have been placed over the body to hasten its decomposition.

Second son Thomas' cell phone was used for several days after his disappearance, but the recipient stated that the style of the messages was not like him. There are local sources who have seen and talked to Agnes (open in new tab) in the days following her death, but this has not been confirmed.

Also in Reddit's post, a blog (opens in new tab) allegedly written by Xavier's sister and brother-in-law resurfaced, subtitled in French "Another Perspective on the Dupont de Ligonnes Case" and discussing the possibility that Xavier did not commit the murder It discusses. The Reddit user wrote:

It has not been confirmed if this blog is actually by Xavier's family.

Several searches were conducted near the location of Xavier's disappearance, primarily in 2011 and 2012 (opens in new tab). After his disappearance, there were reported and unconfirmed sightings of Xavier, including in Italy, and some speculated that he was hiding with his family.

In 2015, a French News Agency (AFP) reporter received a note supposedly from Xavier behind what appeared to be a family photo of his two sons. The note read, "I am still alive. From that time to this time." It has not been confirmed whether the note is indeed Xavier's, and French prosecutors have not commented on the case.

In 2018, French police raided a monastery (opens in new tab) after receiving a report that Xavier might be hiding, but determined it was simply a monk who looked like him; in 2019, a French man was arrested in Scotland (opens in new tab) and partially fingerprints led them to suspect it was Xavier, but it was proven to be a completely different person.

Anyone with information on the Dupont de Ligones family should visit unsolved.com.