Housni N. case: couple returns on appeal for murder in Loiret
Stéphane M. and Karine M. are being tried on appeal in Paris from 12 to 23 October for the mysterious death of a business owner discovered riddled with bullets in a house in Courtenay in 2019. The couple had been acquitted at first instance.
The return of the "Cluedo" case before the courts
According to BFM TV, Stéphane M. and Karine M. returned to the Palais de Justice in Paris on Monday 12 October to face fresh accusations of murder, criminal association and tampering with a crime scene. Six years after the discovery of the body of Housni N., director of a luxury car rental agency, investigators are still trying to clear up the shadowy areas of what police call the "Cluedo case".
In February 2025, following their trial at first instance, the couple had been acquitted for want of proof. Following an appeal by the prosecutor general, the court is reopening the file. A verdict is expected on 23 October.
The circumstances of the discovery
On 26 June 2019, officers from the criminal investigation police of the Hauts-de-Seine presented themselves at an unoccupied architect-designed house in Courtenay, in Loiret. For four days, Housni N.'s partner had reported him missing. She had last seen him on 20 June in the morning, when he had gone to the property for a quote regarding the renovation of a swimming pool, in a residence he was considering acquiring.
The officers explored the building without discovering anything of note. They were preparing to leave when they noticed a locked basement door they had not yet opened. After forcing it open, they found the body of Housni N., leaning against a wall, riddled with bullets. A single empty cartridge lay on his left shoulder.
The traces and the cleaning
Investigators noted a strong smell of bleach. The floor was still damp and no traces of blood were found, indicating that the scene had been cleaned. It was impossible to find the key to the room. Moreover, the car used by the victim was found in Grigny, in Essonne, more than 50 kilometres from the crime scene.
The identification of suspects
Police quickly identified Stéphane M., 45 years old at the time of the events, who was supposed to meet the victim in Courtenay on the day of his disappearance. The two men had met two days earlier through a mutual friend. Stéphane M. had then said he was looking for small undeclared paid work. The meeting at the Courtenay house had been set for two days later.
The investigation also identified Karine M., Stéphane M.'s partner, as presumed to be involved in the events.
The evidence against the couple
In July 2019, a search of the couple's home revealed several boxes of cartridges of various calibres. Both were members of a shooting range. Among the ammunition was an opened packet of 22 Long Rifle cartridges, compatible with the weapon that killed Housni N.
Other elements struck the investigators. An SMS that Stéphane M. admits to having pre-drafted, intended to be sent by his partner on 20 June in the middle of the day to make it seem that he had not left his home. It is also established that he drove the victim's car to Grigny during the night of 20 to 21 June. Finally, the couple reported a burglary a few days after the events, during which they claimed to have lost several weapons, including a 22 Long Rifle.
Stéphane M.'s versions
Placed in police custody, Stéphane M. changed his account several times. He ultimately claimed that Housni N. had hired him for a drug transport, not for work, and that he had sought to cover himself to avoid trouble with the law. This explanation did not convince the investigators, who noted that Housni N. had sufficient contacts in trafficking circles to entrust such a task to a virtual stranger.
The question of motive
The investigating judge's indictment order proposes a scenario: Stéphane M. could have been hired by a third party with a score to settle with the victim. However, this hypothesis remains speculative. Why a man met only two days earlier would have committed this act remains one of the principal mysteries of the case.
Karine M. faced the accusation of having agreed to send the SMS exonerating her partner on the day of the events, and of having followed him by car to Grigny on the morning of 21 June whilst he moved the victim's vehicle.
The appeal trial should allow certain shadowy areas to be cleared up, seven years after the mysterious death of the agency director in the Courtenay house.
Source: BFM TV