Kim Kardashian’s Paris robbery trial faced a major shakeup after suspect Marceau Baum Gertner died unexpectedly weeks before testimony was set to begin.
Kim Kardashian’s long-awaited Paris robbery trial took a dramatic turn after key suspect Marceau Baum Gertner died unexpectedly last month, just weeks before proceedings were set to begin in France.
Gertner, a reputed “super fence” with deep ties to Paris’s criminal underworld, was one of 10 defendants accused of orchestrating the 2016 armed robbery that left Kardashian bound and terrified inside her luxury suite at Hôtel de Pourtalès during Paris Fashion Week.
His death on March 6, described by sources as “unexpected,” came amid reports he had received death threats from criminal gangs connected to the case.
The official cause of death has not been made public.
The trial, scheduled to open Monday (April 28) and run through May 23, will proceed without Gertner, but his absence leaves a significant gap in the prosecution’s case.
The group of defendants, some nicknamed the “grandpa robbers” due to their advanced ages, includes 71-year-old Yunice Abbas, who has already indicated plans to admit involvement and apologize.
Kardashian, who is expected to testify in person, will recount the harrowing night of October 3, 2016, when masked men posing as police officers forced their way into her suite, threatened the concierge at gunpoint and stole $6 million worth of jewels.
During the robbery, Kardashian was tied up with plastic ties and tape, placed in a bathtub and feared for her life, believing she might be raped or killed.
Investigators believe the robbers knew her bodyguard was absent at the time, fueling theories of an inside job.
Among the stolen items was her $4 million 18.88-carat diamond engagement ring from Kanye West, along with a Louis Vuitton jewelry box filled with Cartier bracelets, a Jacob necklace and other high-end pieces.
Only a diamond-encrusted cross has been recovered.
Following the attack, Kim Kardashian overhauled her security measures and has spoken publicly about the lasting trauma.
The trial is expected to shed new light on the planning and execution of one of the most infamous celebrity crimes in recent memory.
Related
