
DNA Test for Key Witness in French Tourist Murders Set for June 16 in Salta
Argentine prosecutors have scheduled a crucial DNA analysis for June 16 in the long-running case of the 2011 murders of French tourists Cassandre Bouvier and Houria Moumni in Salta province. The genetic test will be performed on samples from Beatriz Yapura, wife of Santos Clemente Vera, who was initially convicted but later acquitted of the killings. The analysis, to be conducted at the official laboratory of the Molecular Biology Service of the Fiscal Investigation Corps, aims to resolve lingering questions about a female DNA profile previously identified by French experts.
From Buenos Aires, judicial sources confirm that this is the only remaining genetic examination in the case. The move follows media reports suggesting that Yapura's lawyer already possessed results from a comparison between her sample and the female genetic profile obtained by French investigators. The prosecution unit, led by fiscals María Luján Sodero Calvet, Daniel Espilocín, and Pablo Paz, has denied those claims, emphasizing that no official results exist yet. The test is expected to provide definitive clarity on whether Yapura's DNA matches the unidentified female traces found at the crime scene.
Viewed from Paris, the case has drawn sustained attention due to the brutal nature of the murders and the initial conviction of Vera, which was later overturned on appeal. French forensic experts have collaborated with Argentine authorities, and the upcoming test is seen as a critical step toward closing a case that has strained bilateral relations. Analysts in London note that the delay in conducting this analysis—nearly a decade after the crime—highlights systemic inefficiencies in Argentina's judicial system, though the current push for resolution suggests renewed political will.
The test's outcome could either exonerate Yapura or implicate her in the murders, potentially reopening the investigation. Prosecutors have also indicated they will process additional data from France to counter misinformation that has clouded the case. As the date approaches, observers on both sides of the Atlantic await results that may finally bring closure to a tragedy that has haunted the families of the victims and tested the limits of cross-border forensic cooperation.
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