Xavier Philippe

Xavier Philippe (born 8 November 1956 in Orléans) is a French serial killer and criminal.

Philippe was suspected of killing three of his associates, attempting to kill another, and deliberately killing a pensioner between 1988 and 2005. These suspicions earned him the nickname 'serial killer of associates'.

In July 2008, Philippe was sentenced to 30 years in prison for murdering his associate, a pastry chef in the Marais district of Paris, in 2005. This sentence was upheld on appeal in June 2010.

Gomez was questioned and believed Philippe organised the attack. He had seen Xavier Philippe stealing from the café's cash register and had discovered the existence of a life insurance policy taken out in his name for the benefit of Philippe's mother. When the case was revisited, Gomez stated:

"I truly realize how lucky I was to have escaped Xavier Philippe's clutches when I avoided the death he had planned for me. His strength is (...) to always position himself as a victim. He is intelligent and completely amoral."

Gomez was Bertrand Philippe's partner for over twenty years. When Bertrand Philippe committed suicide on 5 July 1995, his brother was convinced that Tony Gomez was to blame for his death. He allegedly ordered his assault in 1998.

Philippe was charged in May 2006 with the attempted murder of Tony Gomez. At his residence, police had seized a pistol as well as swords and daggers, but these were not connected to the crime.

On 24 May, a judicial investigation was opened for murder. The police officers from the criminal investigation department suspected manipulation and a staged crime scene. Philippe, Belle's boss, had received a voicemail from the victim saying, 'I'll be there in 5 or 10 minutes'. A friend stated that it was rare for Belle to call Philippe and it was suspected that Philippe had lured the victim to him in the early hours. Philippe claimed it was a mistake on Christophe Belle's part. The police analysed the victim's phone and observed that there could be no mistake.

Other deaths linked to Xavier Philippe On 7 December 2005, his ex-wife was interviewed. She stated that, on the night of 17 to 18 November 1988, he came home later than usual. He allegedly confessed to her that he had killed Pascal Le Roy in order to avoid prison. Pascal Le Roy was a former business partner who had been missing since then. He warned her not to go to the police and even threatened her. This added a new element to the case before Xavier Philippe's trial.

When checking Philippe's criminal record, investigators discovered a conviction for manslaughter. On 27 June 1991, while riding a motorcycle and running a red light, Philippe struck and killed 86-year-old Joseph Terzian in Paris. Initially imprisoned for murder, Philippe was finally convicted of manslaughter and briefly imprisoned before being released.

A third death is suspected of being linked to Philippe. When his brother Bertrand was found dead on 5 July 1995, the investigation concluded that it was suicide. Philippe has always maintained that his brother's suicide was Gomez's fault. This case allegedly motivated the attempted murder of Gomez in 1998. For his part, Gomez has always maintained that Philippe killed his brother and then made it look like suicide.

Trial for Belle's murder. On 23 June 2008, Philippe's trial began at the Val-de-Marne Assize Court. The court examined the case and the defendant's background for two long weeks. During the trial, Gomez, his former business partner and nightclub owner, was questioned. He said of the defendant: 'He never had any rules, he dares to do anything because he doesn't know the difference between what is allowed and what is not.' He made no secret of his negative opinion of him; he was convinced of his former business partner's guilt in the 1998 assault case. Gomez is convinced that he was the target. He filed a complaint against Philippe.

Trial for the attempted murder of Grégory C. and Tony Gomez A suspicious letter disrupted the trial. According to investigators, this unsigned letter was sent by Philippe to be a witness in the murder of Belle. The letter read: "You correct your statement. Alain Samycia does not know Xavier, that's all." Alain Samycia was one suspect in the attempted murder of Grégory and Gomez in 1998; more specifically, the man Philippe allegedly paid to kill Gomez.

On 23 June 2011, Philippe and his lawyer referred a Priority Preliminary Constitutionality Question (QPC) to the 10th Chamber of the Paris Criminal Court based on Article 6 of the ECHR: 'Everyone is entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time.' His lawyer emphasised that the charges against his client, Philippe, dated back to 28 April 1998. He also denounced 'the extraordinary length of time taken to deal with a case that is not so complex' and attempted to make the jury aware of the suffering of the relatives of Belle, the victim. The prosecutor retorts that the convicted man is a 'Machiavellian', "calculating" individual, 'a man with no limits, no moral sense', 'of endless greed and appetite'.

On 4 July 2012, Philippe was sentenced to an additional four years in prison for organising the attempted murder of Grégory and Gomez. On 12 June 2013, the Paris Court of Appeal acquitted Philippe of aggravated assault against Grégory Colombe in the Tony Gomez case.

Release Philippe was released in February 2025, after 19 years in prison.