Thirty years after the disappearance of 10-year-old Marion Wagon in the streets of Agen on November 14, 1996, her family’s lawyer has denounced the investigation’s systemic failures while pointing to a renewed spark of hope, according to an interview on bfmtv.com.
Me Georges Catala, lawyer for the Wagon family, appeared on BFMTV on Sunday, November 15, to discuss the unresolved case and fresh investigative paths. He criticized authorities for overlooking critical leads during the initial search three decades ago. Thirty years after the facts, he testified to “l’immense déception, l’immense désarroi, l’immense douleur”, but also to the “lueur d’espoir” of the parents of Marion Wagon, said Me Georges Catala.
The case has drawn renewed attention following fresh investigative efforts by Sabrine Kheris, the examining magistrate heading the cold case unit. Catala pointed out that investigators previously ignored viable leads, specifically regarding a neighbor who lived near the family home. “On ne comprendra pas cette affaire si on fait abstraction du scandale qui l’entoure”, declared the lawyer. “C’est pas possible. On dit que c’est le voisin… Mais ce voisin on pouvait l’appréhender, il était à côté de chez nous. (…) Les juges auraient dû s’y intéresser”, reported Me Georges Catala, citing the words of his clients with whom he spoke two days earlier.
Another recent development involves a witness who was 13 years old at the time of the disappearance. She reported being followed by a man near the route Marion took to school. Catala described this belated testimony as an extraordinary loss of opportunity resulting from investigative deficiencies.
“On nous demande, 30 ans après, de revenir dans les souvenirs forcément fragiles d’une gamine de 13 ans (…). Si ce souvenir est unique, ça ne va pas suffire, il en faudra d’autres. Il faudra toute une machine à remonter le temps qui soit d’une qualité exceptionnelle”, assured Me Georges Catala regarding the fragile recollections from three decades ago.
Despite past grievances, the family has experienced a shift in momentum since the cold case unit took charge. “Ceux que je represente sont conscients de ça”, assured the lawyer, who stressed that the parents of Marion Wagon nonetheless have “une lueur d’espoir”. “Nous avons été interrogés, en 30 ans, peut-être six fois”, assured Me Georges Catala.
The magistrate explicitly stated she is bound by no obligation of result but committed to restarting the inquiry from scratch, telling the parents, “Je ne vous promets rien, je ne suis pas tenue à une obligation de résultat, mais je vais tout recommencer”.
Worth a look