On December 23, 1996, the body of 39-year-old Sophie Toscan du Plantier was discovered by her neighbor outside her holiday home in West Cork, Ireland. Who would commit such a heinous crime just days before Christmas? Listen to part one as we cover the early days of the investigation. Who was Sophie Toscan du Plantier and how did she die along with the emergence of a prime suspect.
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TuneInDisclaimer
The information presented in this episode was gathered from a variety of resources that I want to give credit to. The works I will be referencing are from two documentaries on this case; Sophie A Murder in West Cork that aired in June on Netflix and Murder at the Cottage: The Search for Justice for Sophie that aired in England on the Sky Channel and was directed by Jim Sheridan. In addition, I listened to the West Cork Podcast in which two journalists, Jennifer Forde, and Sam Bungey spent three years interviewing several people involved with this case. The other podcast I listened to was Crime Analyst hosted by Laura Richards. I also read two books Murder at Roaringwater by Nick Foster and Death in December by Michael Sheridan.
Location
Our story predominantly takes place in West Cork, Ireland, but more specifically in the area around the Mizen Peninsula. This is located in the western southernmost point in Ireland. This area has a scattering of villages on the east side of the peninsula such as Goleen, Schull, and Crookhaven. The area is approximately 350 km or 217 miles from Dublin, the capital of Ireland. Toormore is a remote area of West Cork with a small number of both holiday homes and full-time residences. When I say remote I mean remote. It was referenced in the Netflix documentary that even locals who aren’t familiar with this area would not know where they are going.
Running Errands
Toormore resident, Shirley Foster, woke up around 8 am on the morning of December 23, 1996. She decided around 10 am to go into Schull which was about 8 miles away to do some Christmas shopping and run some rubbish into the local dump. Shirley Foster, was a retired school teacher from England. She was also a full-time resident of Toormore along with her partner, Alfie Lyons, a retired restaurant owner from Dublin. They were both in their sixties. As Shirley set out she drove behind her neighbor’s holiday home, Sophie Buoniol, and noticed that her car was parked outside her house. The previous night the couple had also noticed Sophie’s back porch light on indicating she was over for a visit.
Sophie Buoniol, a French citizen, had owned her holiday home in Toormore since 1991 and had visited it a couple of times a year since then. Shirley continued down the lane the three houses shared towards the metal gate. The other home on the hillside was owned by the Richardson Family who resided in England. These three homes made up the little hamlet of the Toormore. So just to describe this setting if you haven’t seen pictures or the documentaries; Lyons and Foster’s home when looking up the hillside sits to the far left halfway up the hillside.
To the right of their home sits a white two-story farmhouse. This is Sophie’s holiday home. The drive goes behind Sophie’s house and starts to wind down the hillside. It then splits off to go towards Richardson’s home which is to the right of Sophies. There is one lane leading to all three houses. It’s the only way to get to their homes by roadway.
Why Was the Gate Open?
As Shirley approached the gate she thought it was odd that it was open as it is usually kept close. Soon her attention was on something on the left-hand side of the road caught on the barbed wire fencing. Shirley slammed on her brakes shortly after passing what she initially thought might have been a life-sized doll. On closer inspection, she realized it was a body. Shirley honked her car horn and screamed for Alfie, but she was too far away for him to hear. So she took off running through the field back to her home.
Alfie immediately contacted the local Garda Station to report what Shirley had seen. The Garda Siochana which means the guardians of the peace are the national police force in Ireland. They are commonly referred to as the Garda or the Guards. Gardai Officer William Byrne took the call from Alfie Lyons at 10:15 am. The Garda were on scene by 10:38 am.
100 Years
While the Garda were on their way, Alfie Lyons decided to notify his neighbor, Sophie, of what Shirley had found. He knocked on her back door, the one next to the lane all the neighbors shared, but he got no answer. However, he did notice what looked like blood smeared on the door and the door handle. This door was on the west end of the house and led into the kitchen area. Alfie returned to his residence to await the Garda. He didn’t go to Richardson’s home as they were not visiting Ireland at that time. Alfie also followed the Garda instructions to not touch the body in any way as they were on their way.
When the Garda arrived on the scene around 10:38 am they found Shirley’s white station wagon just past the body with its driver’s side door open. The Garda then saw the body of what looked to be a petite blonde woman. She was lying face up in the ditch at the side of the lane, lying slightly on her left side. They could tell it was the body of a badly beaten woman who had suffered severe trauma to her head and neck area.
First Murder In Nearly 100 Years
The female victim had on what appeared to be a white nightshirt and leggings. She had on laced-up boots. Nearby was a concrete block that weighed 25 kilos (55 pounds) and was covered in blood. There was also a flattish slate rock that had blood on it. Garda surmised that they had been used as possible murder weapons. Shockingly this was the first murder to happen in this area in close to a hundred years. Think about that. This area of West Cork had not had a murder in living memory. To say the Garda were shocked would and not prepared for what was to come would come to be an understatement.
The local priest, Father Dennis Cashman, was notified of the deceased woman and asked to come to give last rites. He arrived on the scene at 11:50 am giving prayers and last rites in which two Garda officers joined in. Father Cashman was not allowed to anoint the body with any oils as the officers did not want the body contaminated.
Help in on the Way
Around noon on December 23rd, the local Garda called the main Irish Garda headquarters in Dublin requesting the crime scene unit. Local stations did not house crime scene experts. In Ireland, at the time the local Garda did not have anyone trained to collect evidence and process the scene. That could only come from Dublin. Which on a non-holiday time of year before the major highway was built would be approximately a 4 to 5-hour drive.
While the crime scene unit was on its way, Garda officer Pat Joy, who had taken a forensic course, had started to photograph the scene. A local doctor, Dr. Larry O’Connor was also notified to come and verify that in fact, the victim was deceased, but Dr. O’Connor was not tasked with verifying the time of death. That could only come from Dr. John Harbison, Ireland’s only state pathologist at the time. The Garda attempted to notify Dr. Harbison to get him to West Cork as soon as possible. It was his sixty-third birthday and he was not in the office. He was reached later in the afternoon. Dr. Harbison told the Garda on the scene that he would be down the next morning. He instructed them to have the body removed to the local hospital once all the evidence had been collected.
Why Was There Only One Pathologist In Ireland?
On Laura Richard’s podcast Crime Analyst, she talks further about why Dr. Harbison was the only pathologist in all of Ireland. She explains that Dr. Harbison at the time had worked under the DPP. The Department of Public Prosecutions and for years had been asking for more funding and staff. Dr. Haribson even went so far as to write a formal report to Ireland’s Minister of Justice informing her that he was burning out. It was too much for one person to be on call day and night. He was also responsible for driving themselves to wherever he was needed.
Coincidentally, it was eight days later on December 31, 1996, that Dr. Harbison was notified that he would no longer be under the DPP. His office would fall under the Ministry of Justice and he had a team of pathologists assigned to him to cover all the counties in Ireland. We will get to why this change occurred in a moment.
The Victim Is Finally Identified
Remember I said that he asked the body to be moved, however, that is not what happened. The senior Garda officer at the scene sent an officer into town to buy some blue tarps earlier in the day to put over the body. He decided and would later tell Eugene Gilligan with the Dublin forensic team that Dr. Harbison would need to come to the scene first before the body would be removed. The body would remain at the scene for close to 26 hours. Due to the victim remaining outside with temperatures near freezing in the end Dr. Harbison would not be able to determine her time of death.
At 12:35 pm, two and half hours after the discovery of the victim, she was finally identified by a local cattle farmer. He knew her as she had allowed him to use her fields in front of her home. The deceased body belonged to 39-year-old Sophie Toscan du Plantier. At the time, residents didn’t know Sophie by her married name. When she was in Ireland she liked to go by her maiden name, Bouniol.
A Long Long Way
Meanwhile, the forensic team was still on route but was delayed due to holiday traffic. Remember I said this trip would normally take 4 to 5 hours, but it turned out to be closer to 7 ½ hours. When the forensic team made it to the Garda station around 10:30 pm no one was there to greet them. Eugene Gilligan was able to find a phone box, but it had been vandalized. He had to re-wire it and was able to call for assistance and have someone meet them to lead them to the scene.
While the forensic unit got to work local Garda officers continued with their interviews with some of the area residents. This is something they started within the first few hours after the discovery of the body. Each Garda officer had a sheet of paper with the same set of questions. They set out to question all the residents in the area. A command center was set up in the local Garda station where all evidence and interview sheets would be brought and processed each day. The Garda also held a meeting at the end of each day to review the findings.
Murderer Was Familiar With The Area
The initial profile by the Garda was that the murderer must have been familiar with the area. Sophie’s home was remote. It’s referenced in the Netflix documentary that even residents of West Cork wouldn’t even know where to go unless they traveled that way often enough. Keep in mind there were no road signs or house numbers to go by.
The Garda also believed that the individual they were looking for must have been covered in blood due to the nature of the crime. They bludgeoned the victim to death. The Garda also felt that the perpetrator was a man with considerable strength to be able to lift the 55-pound concrete block. The suspect was also someone they felt was prone to acts of violence due to the frenzied, brutal nature of the attack. The Garda put out a notice that their suspect might have unexplained scratches on his hands due to the briars and barbed wire fencing surrounding the crime scene.
Who Was Sophie Toscan du Plantier?
Sophie Buoniol was born in Paris, France on July 27, 1957. Her father, Georges was a dentist, and mother, Marguerite was a deputy mayor of a central district in Paris. Sophie was the oldest with two younger brothers. As a teen, Sophie had traveled to Ireland and stayed with a host family. This is when she fell in love with the Emerald Isle. Sophie married at 22 and had one child, Pierre-Louis, in 1982, but her marriage didn’t last.
When Sophie met Daniel Tuscon du Plantier she had been working for a Paris production company. Daniel Tuscon du Plantier was a famous film producer and studio head for French cinema and sixteen years Sophie’s senior. It is said that Daniel pursued Sophie while ending his second marriage. Sophie told Daniel that he would need to get her mother’s permission if he wished to be in a relationship with her. So Daniel sent a letter of intent and a copy of his divorce papers to her mother. The couple married in 1991 when Sophie was 32. Her mother officiated the ceremony. Daniel also gifted Sophie with a holiday home in Ireland that same year.
Marriage Troubles?
The couple’s marriage hit some troubled times in 1992 when the couple had separated for a short time. Sophie started a relationship with French painter, Bruno Carbonnet. Carbonnet and Sophie had traveled to her home in West Cork on two occasions while they were seeing each other. The couple broke up in December 1993 and Sophie decided to work on her marriage. Carbonnet didn’t take the break up well. At one point he may have stalked Sophie and surprised her outside her Paris apartment getting physical with her.
Just to note, Bruno Carbonnet had an alibi for the time of Sophie’s murder. Daniel and Sophie reconciled. Up to the time of her murder they had been enjoying their life together even planning on perhaps having a baby. One of Sophie’s last calls from Ireland was to the gardener of their country home. Sophie wanted to surprise Daniel with a tree outside of their bedroom window.
Sophie is described by those that knew her to be quiet and curious and valued her solitude at times. She was interested in making art-house documentary films on anything from African Art to Greek dancing. Daniel encouraged her to do so. She loved to read graphic novels and sing, although her family says that she couldn’t hold a tune. Sophie may have been small in stature standing around five feet, but she was not afraid to speak her mind. She stood up for herself and could be blunt and to the point to those around her. She loved life, she loved her family and friends and she especially loved her son Pierre-Louie.
Into the Night
Sophie had talked to Daniel around midnight Paris time the night of her murder. She told him that she had a ticket for a return flight on December 24th. So she would be home in time for them to spend Christmas together. They had also planned on visiting friends in North Africa for New Year. Daniel planned to pick her up at the airport. Her son Pierre-Louie was with his father’s family for the holidays. The couple talked for about an hour before saying goodnight. What happened or should I say who happened to come to Sophie’s home after she hung up is a mystery to this day.
Back at the crime scene, news had broken at 2 pm on the national news channels that there had been a murder in West Cork of a foreign female national. One of the first journalists to arrive on the scene was resident, Englishman Ian Bailey, and his paramour, Jules Thomas. Bailey worked as a freelance journalist. He had been contacted at 1:40 pm by The Cork Examiner editor, Eddie Cassidy, asking Bailey if he could find out anything on the report that a foreign national had been murdered in his area. Thomas was there to take photographs.
Raising Suspicions
Garda officer Martin Malone was stationed approximately 150 yards from the crime scene. He knew who Bailey was as he had come to the scene of an elderly man falling to his death from some cliffs months earlier. What surprised this officer when Bailey arrived was that he didn’t stay very long. He asked a few questions, but didn’t even inquire who the victim was. This was opposite to what he had done months earlier at the other crime scene.
Gardaiofficer Malone was also familiar with Bailey’s reputation of being a domestic abuser. This was from an incident that had occurred with his live-in girlfriend, Jules Thomas in May of that year. He remembered Thomas from when she had come into the Garda station to withdraw the assault complaint against Bailey. For this reason, Bailey was mentioned by Officer Malone as a person of interest. Especially after he had found out that Bailey had accessed the crime area on December 27th under the pretense of delivering something to Alfie Lyon’s residence. He found Bailey’s behaviors that day at the scene to be highly suspicious.
Death Notice
Usually, when authorities notify a family of their loved ones’ demise it’s done before a media release. That didn’t seem to be the case with Sophies’ family. News had broken in France on the 23rd that one of their citizens had been murdered in West Cork, Ireland. It’s been reported that Sophie’s mother was watching the news and had a feeling that the murdered woman in West Cork was her Sophie. Sophie’s brother, Bertrand immediately reached out trying to get in touch with her, but she never responded. He then contacted her Irish housekeeper, Josephine Hellen, who was finally able to confirm that it was indeed Sophie who had been murdered.
Sophie’s husband Daniel had been notified by then by French authorities as to his wife’s murder. Sophie’s family including her parents, one brother, and her aunt arranged to travel to Ireland on December 24th to identify her body. Daniel declined to make the trip causing some to be highly suspicious of him not doing so. Agnes Thomas, Sophie’s best friend, would later say in the Netflix documentary that the reason Daniel did not go to Ireland with Sophie’s family is that he had felt terrible guilt over her murder. Although Sophie’s family was initially shocked by Daniel’s refusal they did not feel he had anything to do with Sophie’s murder.
Breaking His Silence
Daniel would give an interview in February 1998. He waited for over a year to break his silence. Daniel knew that Sophie Toscan du Plantier would have been mad at him for speaking with the press as she valued her privacy. Daniel explained in the interview that he felt that Sophie’s murder was not premeditated. She most likely answered her door to a predator who wanted something she wasn’t going to give. Daniel said Sophie was not afraid of anything and always spoke her mind which may have inflamed her murderer.
Daniel Tuscon du Plantier would pass away in February 2007 from a heart attack while attending the Berlin Film Festival. His fourth wife buried him in a cemetery in Paris. Sophie would initially be buried near their country home near Toulouse. In 2008, Sophie’s family had her body exhumed and moved to the family plot near Combret.
Sophie’s family upon their arrival were immediately taken to a nearby hotel by the Garda for questioning. In France, families can apply for “private party or parties civile” where families are informed by authorities as to the progress of an investigation or petition authorities for information of their loved ones investigation. To the dismay of the Bouniol Family, this arrangement is not available in Ireland. Once they landed in Ireland the Bouniols were not allowed to identify Sophie’s body first. On December 26th, her brother Bertrand identified her.
What the Body Tells Us
Sophies’ autopsy completed on December 2, 1996. It showed that she had suffered from severe blunt force trauma to her head and neck areas. There was a depression in the area where her body lay and could be seen once she was removed. Dr. Harbison felt that Sophie Toscan du Plantier had been on the ground when the final blows were struck. She had broken fingers and gashes on her hands indicating defensive wounds. The murder weapons were thought to be a slate rock, a 50-pound concrete block, and a third weapon that has never been found.
The third weapon was theorized as having made the cuts to the back of Sophie’s head and hands. Sophie’s housekeeper told the Garda that a small red handled hatchet that was kept by the back door to split firewood was missing.
Sophie’s pajama top had been pulled up towards her chest and her pajama bottoms were torn at the waist. The elastic waistband of her bottoms was caught on the barbed wire fencing and pulled tight indicating she had been trying to fight off her attacker. There was no indication of her being sexually assaulted. There was also no indication that she had any recent sexual activity. In all Sophie suffered from 50 wounds with a skull fracture, lacerations, and swelling of the brain. The multiple blunt force injuries were her ultimate cause of death. Due to her body remaining outside for as long as it did there is no time of death.
Blood Samples
All blood samples were sent abroad to state-of-the-art labs for testing. DNA testing was relatively new to Ireland so that is why they were sent out. The results would show all the blood on Sophie and the surrounding scene (rocks, slate, briars) belonged to her. The hair found clutched in Sophie’s hand also turned out to be her own. Even the blood on the 16-foot metal gate taken into evidence was once again Sophies.
Detective Garda John O’Neill who worked in the fingerprint unit examined the back door of Sophie’s residence where blood smears were found. He theorized that the perpetrator had blood on their hands or was wearing gloves when the back door handle was pushed in a downward motion. Unfortunately, no prints would be recovered. James Donovan, Director of Forensic Science Laboratory at Garda Headquarters in Dublin is quoted as saying in the Jim Sheridan documentary that “after beating Sophie unconscious the murderer walked 20 feet to pick up a concrete block and dropped it directly on her head.” Her face had been unrecognizable as if her murderer wanted to obliterate her beauty.
Different Theories About The Murder
There was no indication that there was more than one assailant. The blows that Sophie Toscan du Plantier received were concentrated around her head, nothing appeared organized. The Garda didn’t feel the perpetrator planned on murder as the weapons used to murder Sophie were what was convenient to the killer. Though not planned, it appeared in the end intentionall. One theory put out by the press in the early days of the investigation was that Sophie’s murder was perhaps a contract killing. The evidence seemed to suggest this was unlikely as what contract killer doesn’t bring their murder weapon with them? Plus the scene was messy not usually found with a murder for hire.
Jim Clemente, former FBI profiler with the Behavior Analysis Unit, has theorized that this was a fantasy killing on the part of the perpetrator. He felt that the killer was a narcissist with a huge ego thinking that when he went to Sophie’s house that she would be open to his fantasy because in his mind everybody wanted him. When in reality that was not the case, sending the murderer into a rage. The murderer was impulsive and did not plan on killing Sophie and used the weapons that were convenient to him. Afterward focusing on cleaning himself up and developing a cover story. He stated during the Crime Analyst Podcast that this murder was a targeted fantasy killing. An unorganized killer went into a murderous rage ending in a frenzied attack that took Sophie’s life.
No Signs of a Struggle
In inspecting the inside of Sophie’s home nothing appeared out of place. There were no signs of struggle or blood to be found; everything was neat. There were no indications of burglary as money was still present in the home. The only item that appeared to be missing was a small ax. The working theory was that Sophie had fled her home running down the hillside. Why not run towards her closest neighbor? Laura Richard theorized that most likely her attacker had blocked her path. In a panic, she took off down the hillside towards the gate.
When and Where
The Garda started their investigation not only with interviews but also in trying to establish a timeline of Sophie’s movements from the time she landed in Ireland up until her death. When Sophie planned to visit Ireland she would usually give her housekeeper, Josephine Hellen, a couple of weeks’ notice. This time she only notified her a week before her arrival. Sophie planned on flying in on December 20th and departing on the 24th, but she was vague when asked how long she would be staying. Her purpose for coming over so close to Christmas and only staying for a short while had to do with some repairs she wanted to be done to her home’s heating unit.
Sophie Toscan du Plantier flew into West Cork arriving alone on December 20th. This was the first time that Sophie had traveled to Ireland by herself. In the past, she had always brought someone with her. Sophie had tried to get others to go, but due to being so close to the holiday and other obligations, they were unable to. People she had asked included her husband, her best friend, Agnes Thomas, her Aunt Madeline, her brother, and her cousin. There is video footage of her in the airport terminal. This is the only footage that exists of her time in Ireland during this trip. Sophie rented a silver Ford Fiesta at the Avis counter and departed for her home in Toormore after arriving at the Cork Airport around 2:30 pm.
Gas Station Attendant
A gas station attendant, Shawn Murray, would report to the Garda that he believed that Sophie had stopped for gas on the day she arrived. He also stated that a tall man was sitting in the passenger seat that helped translate for her when she didn’t understand what the attendant was asking. Garda officers didn’t feel that this woman was Sophie as the description of the vehicle color was wrong. So they disregarded his sighting. However, when Garda officers examined Sophie’s rental car they found the passenger seat had been pushed back indicating a taller person had been in the car. When rental car companies ready their cars it is customary for the seats to be in the middle position.
Another area resident, Marie Farrell, would contact the Garda on Christmas morning to report that she had recognized Sophie as a woman that had been in her shop on Saturday (21st) afternoon. It was when Sophie left that she noticed a man standing across the street seemed to be watching Sophie. She described the man as having a slim build, medium height with short hair. He wore a long black coat that ended at his ankles and a French beret. Farrell would go on to report that on Sunday morning she drove past the same man hitchhiking out of town as she was on her way to Cork. She didn’t recognize the man either time.
Was Sophie Toscan du Plantier Being Stalked?
Another witness, Carrie Williams, a local Schull resident would tell the Garda that she had seen both Sophie and Bailey in town that day, although it didn’t appear that they were together. She would report that she was in town with her two daughters when she ran into Sophie who was exiting a local store. Carrie then noticed Bailey on the other side of the street wearing a long black coat and big boots. Bailey would admit that he was in Schull that day, but he didn’t know who Sophie was.
On December 22nd Sophie had traveled out to Three Castle Head around 1 pm to do some hiking. Three Castle Head is an old Roman stronghold that is over 1,000 years old. What old relic can be complete without a ghost story attached to it? It is said that the White Lady walks the lake around Three Castle Head and if you are unlucky enough to see her you will not live to see another day.
The Last Person to See Sophie Toscan du Plantier Alive
After leaving Three Castle Head that day Sophie Toscan du Plantier visited a French family, the Ungerers, that she knew from hiking in the area previously. Yvonne Ungerer would tell the Garda that when Sophie arrived at their home she was unsettled and a little unnerved due to seeing a white apparition while walking out at Three Castle Head. Now the Ungerer’s didn’t know about the legend at the time otherwise they would not have allowed Sophie to return home alone. When Sophie departed around 5:45 pm she promised to visit again when she came back around Easter time.
After Sophie left the Ungerers she traveled into Schull to visit O’Sullivan’s Pub. This is an establishment that she visited often when she came to West Cork. Owner Billy O’Sullivan would often talk to Sophie practicing up on his French. He invited Sophie to return for a party he was hosting on the 24th and she said she would if she was still around. Billy O’Sullivan would be the last person to see Sophie alive. Sophie made two phone calls when she returned home, one to her housekeeper and the other to her husband, Daniel.
Suspects
In the initial days of the investigation, Garda officers attempted to question everyone living in West Cork. They also searched over 300-holiday homes in the area to make sure no one was hiding out. They contacted Interpol to inquire about any murders similar to Sophies and any suspects that might fit their initial profile. Garda officers looked at all flight and ferry manifests in the days leading up to Sophie’s murder and days after to see if anyone had traveled from France that could not be accounted for. However, one of the issues with the Garda is that they didn’t get to some interviews for weeks, months, and in some cases years later. This led to disjointed pieces to the investigation.
One of the Garda suspects from the first days of the investigation was free-lance journalist and area resident, Ian Bailey. Although in Ireland, Ian also wrote under the pen name of Eoin Bailey. His name was on the suspect list due to his history of domestic violence against his partner, Jules Thomas, being an area resident familiar to the area, his build in that he was strong enough to lift the heavy concrete block, and his suspicious behavior the day Sophie’s body was discovered. Bailey was one of fifty-four suspects that the Garda were looking at in the early days of the investigation. That number would eventually be reduced to one by the end of January 1997.