French media reports say the 23-year-old unemployed man said he killed an 11-year-old girl earlier this month because he was angry over losing a Fortnite game earlier this month.
The man identified as Owen L tells police he is “angried” after losing a popular video game and then walks around to free his frustration with another gamer before he goes outside. He said he had a fight. In France, the suspect's surname is not leaked to the police.
Police discovered the body of 11-year-old Louise LaSalle on February 8 in the town of Epinai Sruherhe in Esonne, about 16 miles south of Paris.
The discovery came 12 hours after her parents reported her missing.
French police say Owen L confessed to the murder.
Louise was on her way home from middle school around 1:50pm on February 7th, when the suspect allegedly intercepted her.
“While playing Fortnite, he had an online argument with another player who humiliated him,” said prosecutor Gregoire Durin, according to French media. “Very angry, he stopped playing and settled out.”
The suspect planned that he would “take someone else's money or force them to calm down,” but according to Durin, he crossed the road with Louise “accidentally” and “he didn't know.” Ta.
“He found her phone. She was carrying a cord around her neck and decided to follow her,” Durin said.
The suspect clearly lured the girl into the woods, telling her that he had lost something.
“When they got to the quiet spot, he told her that she was going to search for her stuff to steal money, threatening her with a knife,” the prosecutor said. “She began screaming. Paniced, he pushed her into the ground and stabbed her.”
Lasalle's phone was next to her body. There was no evidence of sexual assault, Durin said.
Prosecutors said the man's DNA was found in the hands of a child.
The suspect attempted to have another girl go to the forest with him, but she refused, reported France's TF1.
TF1 said the suspect reportedly told his girlfriend that he “did something serious” and removed the murder weapon, bleached his clothes and threw them into the trash.
The 24-year-old girlfriend is charged with failing to report a crime.
The suspect lived with his parents and had a rap sheet with a history of minor crimes.
His sister reportedly filed a police complaint against him in April 2023, accusing him of being violent and offensive, TF1 reported.
The girl's family lives in Long Jumou, not far from where the murder took place.
