Texas Sheriff Finds Lead in 15-Year-Old French Noble Family Massacre
- Authorities in Brewster County, Texas, are seeking public assistance in locating Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, a French national suspected of murdering his family in 2011.
- The outreach follows reports that the suspect may have been seen in South Brewster County in 2020.
- Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès is the primary suspect in a case known as the Nantes massacre.
Authorities in Brewster County, Texas, are seeking public assistance in locating Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, a French national suspected of murdering his family in 2011. The Brewster County Sheriff’s Office issued an appeal on March 25, 2026, sharing photographs of the suspect to determine if he may be residing in West Texas.
The outreach follows reports that the suspect may have been seen in South Brewster County in 2020. While officials have not confirmed a verified sighting in the region, the effort is part of a broader attempt to locate the long-missing man.
The Nantes Massacre
Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès is the primary suspect in a case known as the Nantes massacre
. In early April 2011, five members of his family were killed in Nantes, Loire-Atlantique, France.
The victims included his wife, Agnès Dupont de Ligonnès, who was 49 years old, and their four children: Arthur, Thomas, Anne, and Benoît, who were between the ages of 13 and 21. Two family dogs were also killed. The bodies were discovered buried in the garden of the family home on April 21, 2011.
Dupont de Ligonnès, a businessman from an aristocratic family, disappeared at the same time as the killings. He was last seen on April 15, 2011, at a hotel in Roquebrune-sur-Argens, Var, France. He has remained missing for more than a decade, and the exact nature of the events has never been fully determined.
Investigation and Identification
The Brewster County Sheriff’s Office utilized a reverse image search that linked an individual potentially seen in Texas to the infamous French murder case. The photos released by the sheriff’s office are approximately 15 years old, dating back to the period of the suspect’s disappearance.
Interpol has previously targeted Dupont de Ligonnès with an unpublished blue notice for witness purposes. The case has drawn international attention due to the nature of the crimes and the suspect’s ability to evade capture for 15 years.
The Brewster County Sheriff’s Office has urged anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès to contact them at 432-837-3488 or by calling 911.