France's top court on Wednesday ordered a retrial of a Chilean accused of killing his Japanese ex-girlfriend in the eastern city of Besancon in 2016, ruling that investigators had withheld evidence from his defense team.
A lower court had sentenced Nicolas Zepeda in April 2022 to 28 years for killing Narumi Kurosaki, then aged 21, in December 2016.
An appeals court upheld that verdict in December 2023.
The Court of Cassation, the highest appeals court in France, said the Chilean would not be released from jail, but tried a third time over the murder.
It said it ordered the retrial because one of the investigators had used slides in their presentation to the court not previously submitted to defense lawyers.
Kurosaki's body has never been found and prosecutors said all the evidence pointed to him being the premeditated killer of the scholarship student.
Zepeda has repeatedly claimed he is innocent.
Kurosaki arrived in Besancon in the summer of 2016 to learn French. She was last seen December 4.
Zepeda, with whom she had broken up two months earlier, was the last person to see her alive.
During the appeals trial, the Chilean, speaking excellent French, often appeared to have difficulty explaining many points of the case, conceding that he had lied about details.
© 2025 AFP
10 Comments
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I'veSeenFootage
No reason to readjudicate this, he's about as guilty as can be.
Fighto!
Anyone who followed the original trials would know that the evidence against this Chilean greaseball is rock solid. He is as guilty as they come, and if he gets off on a technicality it will be devastating for poor Ms Kurosaki's family and friends.
WA4TKG
“Alleged Murder” ?
So she’s really NOT dead?
WA4TKG
Bring it back here to hang..like it should
stormcrow
28 years in prison?!
Is the life of a young woman worth so little?!
Life without the possibility of parole is the way to go with this cold hearted s.o.b.!
Besides that, her body has never been found, which means no closure for the victim’s family.
Nihon Tora
Yeah, as others said this guy is guilty as sin - just read some of the things he said - total jealous control monster.
Here are couple of quotes from him about Narumi:
"She has to pay a little for what she has done and accept that she cannot continue making these kinds of mistakes with someone who loves her." He added, "Certain conditions are applicable during her stay in France, and others are applicable forever. If she cannot follow these conditions for two weeks, within two weeks, I will enforce these conditions with immediate effect."
I remember Narumi l from Tsukuba - didn't really know her well but I remember her beautiful smiling face. Such a shame she got involved with this scumbag. I really hope he doesn't get out on some technicality. Her poor family having to go through the pain and worry of another trial.
Deo Gratias
Okay, then submit those slides to the defense lawyers during the third trial.
Then, find him guilty again and lock him up forever.
I would say execute him, but I know France won't do that.
OssanAmerica
For some types of crimes the death penalty does not seem excessively inhumane. France last used the guilotine in 1977, and abolished the death penalty in 1981.
GuruMick
Ossan...during the French Revolution the guillotine was is high demand and usage.
Some of the "enlightenment " personas wanted to see at what moment life was extinguished.
They even spoke to the condemned ..."hey buddy , could you give us a wink from your decapitated head , you know, to say "Hi " , and reaffirm life/death and all that.. "
Twas was the best of times...the worst of times...
itsonlyrocknroll
The alleged victim family need, demand closure.
Is this not a technicality?
How many times should Narumi Kurosaki family have to relive her death/disappearance?