2023-11-09 15:31:55
Alain Delon was questioned in connection with the murder of his bodyguard in 1968. This case took a political turn when the Pompidou name began to be associated with it.
The year 1968 was particularly eventful for Alain Delon. The actor, who has just celebrated his 88th birthday, was suspected of the murder of his former handyman.
The case began on October 1, 1968. A body, identified by fingerprints as that of Stevan Markovic, was found in a landfill in Elancourt, in Yvelines (Île-de-France). This 31-year-old Yugoslav already has a criminal record and is said to have died several days ago, between September 22 and 23, 1968. He was Alain Delon’s former “handyman” and was allegedly fired for a few weeks previously.
A first autopsy confirms that Stevan Markovic was murdered: he died following blows to the neck and head. The second autopsy, carried out a few weeks later, revealed that the victim was killed by a bullet fired into the back of the head.
A mysterious letter
Initially, the preferred track is that of a fight that went wrong. But on October 5, the victim’s brother brought letters to the police station written by Stevan Markovic which implicated Alain Delon. One of them, in Serbian, contains this message: “Whatever happens, and for all the trouble that could be caused to me, contact Alain Delon, his wife and his partner, a Corsican , real gangster”. The associate in question will be identified as François Marcantoni, a former criminal, ex-resistance fighter who has become a troubled figure.
During an interrogation with the police, Alain Delon admitted that he left on bad terms with the victim, who no longer worked for him. He described Stevan Markovic as having “an invasive personality”, explaining that his behavior had “become unacceptable”. The actor no longer wanted to have anything to do with him. We learned a few days later that his wife, Nathalie Delon, had a brief affair with the victim while the couple was in the process of divorcing.
For his part, Alain Delon’s associate, François Marcantoni, told investigators that he had never spoken to the victim, before admitting in the newspaper Dawn that he knew him and that he helped him obtain the extension of his residence permit in France. However, no charges have been brought against them.
Delon arrested
The affair quickly takes on crazy proportions, this sordid news story branching out from the world of cinema to that of politics. Rumor has it that Stevan Markovic was blackmailing celebrities with compromising photos taken during “fun parties” and swingers’ parties.
The photo of “the wife of a politician” is then mentioned. The person concerned would be the wife of Georges Pompidou, who had just given up his post as Prime Minister. Years later, however, it would be revealed that the image in question was actually a crude photomontage.
The possibility of a settlement of scores linked to drug trafficking is also an avenue raised in this case. But this will never be further substantiated.
Finally, François Marcantoni was arrested on January 16, 1969 for complicity in assassination. Alain Delon is heard in police custody for 35 hours before leaving, without being charged. Marcantoni, however, benefited from a dismissal for lack of evidence and was released in 1976. The Delon couple were also dismissed from the case. This was never resolved.
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