Police search house of Netflix murder series suspect

Gardai have searched Ian Bailey’s home in Co Cork as part of an investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier.

The body of Ms Toscan du Plantier, a 39-year-old French producer, was found badly beaten outside her holiday home in Schull, West Cork, in December 1996.

On Friday, gardai searched a home in Bantry, Co Cork, as part of their probe into Ms Toscan du Plantier’s death.

In a statement, a garda spokesman said: “As part of the ongoing investigation into the murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier in 1996, gardai conducted a search under warrant of a residential property in Bantry, County Cork earlier today.”

A funeral for Mr Bailey, the main suspect in the case, was held on Tuesday following his death on Sunday.

He had been convicted of her murder in his absence by a Paris court in May 2019, which imposed a 25-year sentence.

He had no legal representation, did not attend the court and described it as a farce at the time.

In October 2020, the High Court in Ireland rejected an attempt by French authorities to extradite Mr Bailey for the murder.

The court ruled that he would not be surrendered to France after a European Arrest Warrant was issued in 2019.

The death of Mr Bailey, was announced on Sunday. He had a severe heart condition and had been a candidate for surgery.

He had always vehemently denied any involvement in Ms Toscan du Plantier’s death.

Her son Pierre-Louis Baudey-Vignaud said his family is continuing efforts for “truth and justice”.

Earlier this week, he said: “An investigation is still under way in Ireland and we are confident that the discovery of new evidence, the hearing of new witnesses, and the revelation of possible complicity will enable Irish police to close the case, finally, 27 years after my mother’s murder.”