27 Facts About Christian Ranucci

Christian Ranucci was born in Avignon on 6 April 1954 to Jean Ranucci, a board painter and veteran of the Indochina War, and Heloise Mathon, a child minder.

However, other sources, like Christian Ranucci's father, testified that his son did not really witness this attack, but only saw his injured mother as a nursemaid was bringing him in her arms back home.

Years later, Christian Ranucci, charged with Rambla's murder, confessed to the examining magistrate that he had lived his entire childhood with the constant fear that his father, depicted as violent by his mother, would eventually find and kill him.

Christian Ranucci was often violent towards his schoolmates, and remained immature and uncommunicative as a young man.

Christian Ranucci had lived in a posh residence with a communal swimming pool in a 3-room flat owned by his mother.

Christian Ranucci first sought to buy a Mercedes 220, but as it was too expensive for his mother, he bought a grey Peugeot 304 coupe.

Christian Ranucci seems to like the Mercedes model, as he claimed later in a document that policemen in charge of the inquiry came and got him with this vehicle, whereas he was transferred to Marseille in a Renault 12.

Christian Ranucci eventually went to Wittlich, in Rhineland-Palatinate, in order to complete his military service, before being called up in April 1973.

When his mother refused to accompany him on a Pentecost weekend trip, Christian Ranucci left Nice alone on 2 June 1974.

Christian Ranucci watched them for thirty to forty-five minutes, intending to wait until there were fewer around before kidnapping Marie-Dolores.

Christian Ranucci then turned around and fled in the direction of Marseille, drove a few hundred metres before he stopped at the bottom of a hill, exited from his car with the young girl, and climbed up into underbrush holding her left arm.

Christian Ranucci hit her head with stones then stabbed her in the throat with his flick knife; she reportedly received about 15 blows.

Rambla tried to resist by raising her right hand, but Christian Ranucci soon stabbed the dorsal side of her hand.

At 5pm, Christian Ranucci requested service from a former digger who had become a farm labourer, Mohamed Rahou.

Christian Ranucci was arrested two days after the murder as he was returning from work to his home in Nice.

Christian Ranucci had been identified by his registration plate number, provided by witnesses to the car accident during his flight with the child.

Christian Ranucci confessed to the abduction and murder of Marie-Dolores Rambla, and drew an accurate sketch of the kidnapping, then indicated the place where he disposed of the murder weapon, which was later found buried in a peat field stack by gendarmes.

Christian Ranucci explained the murder was a result of panic and fear due to the accident.

However, as Christian Ranucci had retracted his confession, his other two lawyers conformed to his wishes, and chose to plead his innocence.

Christian Ranucci was tried in Aix-en-Provence in southern France on 9 and 10 March 1976, just three weeks after Patrick Henry was arrested in Troyes for another child murder.

Christian Ranucci appeared arrogant during the trial, denying the crime and his guilt, despite the physical evidence and the details he had provided during his confession.

Again on his mother's advice, Christian Ranucci wrote a 74-page document titled "Recapitulatif" while on death row, in which he summed up the case from his point of view and attempted to prove he was innocent.

Christian Ranucci was executed by guillotine in the courtyard of Baumettes prison, in Marseilles, on 28 July 1976, at 4:13am.

Chardon denied that Christian Ranucci had been tortured as claimed during his trial.

Christian Ranucci was buried in the graveyard of Saint-Veran, Avignon, alongside her son's ashes which she had followed as they were transported from the graveyard Saint-Pierre in Marseille to graveyard Saint-Veran after his execution.

Christian Ranucci was convicted of her murder and sentenced to an 18-year prison term in October 2008.

Christian Ranucci's trial was postponed and home confinement was imposed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.