A silver watch stolen from the dead body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier as a trophy could be the missing piece in solving the long-debated murder case.
That's according to journalist Nick Foster, who says this is a breakthrough in the case.
Sophie, a French filmmaker, was brutally beaten to death outside her holiday home in Schull, West Cork, back in December of 1996.
The case was the subject of two separate documentary series this year.
Although we are approaching the 25th anniversary of her untimely demise, Nick Foster, who wrote a book about the case, believes the murder can still be solved.
"I've personally being given tip-offs and I've worked with these people who've shared information with me, so that it reaches the Guards".
One such tip-off was that the watch was taken from her body.
"It's to do with a watch, a silver watch - so a watch of a specific type - that the killer stole from his victim's body immediately after the murder."
Mr Foster wrote a letter to a person of relevance to the case about the new development this week.
He believes it could help to solve the crime.
"I can tell you that I'm very optimistic that there will be progress in the case in Ireland, and ultimately one or more arrests".
1/4: On morning of 23/12/1996 a man walked across the moor north of boreen leading from K road to Sophie’s house. 15 mins’ hike, out of sight of crime scene. He reached a vantage point, hidden behind bushes above the Richardsons’ property. He took photos through these bushes.
— Nick Foster (@NFoster66) December 6, 2021
2/4: In October, I retraced his steps. From the vantage point, man could access a bend in the track just to the east of Sophie’s house (by descending via Richardsons’ garden or via a ravine). From this bend in the track, man was 8 seconds from Sophie’s dead body (I timed this).
— Nick Foster (@NFoster66) December 6, 2021
3/4: My information comes from a significant source. I have not included all details of this tip-off here. Very confident that other photos were taken at crime scene on morning after murder – some very near victim’s body. Man was so close he was crouching over Sophie.
— Nick Foster (@NFoster66) December 6, 2021
4/4: Also, did Sophie’s killer take some kind of trophy from the body of his victim? Something to remind him of his crime, something he would have to keep secret. Was there such a trophy? Yes. Did he keep it secret? Not so much. Clock is ticking hard. Justice needs to be done.
— Nick Foster (@NFoster66) December 6, 2021
The main suspect in the case is former journalist Ian Bailey, who has been arrested twice in connection to the case, he has maintained his innocence consistently over the last two decades.
Bailey has been found guilty in absentia in the French courts, but the Irish courts have ruled against extraditing Bailey to France, due to different views on circumstantial evidence.
Speaking back in May, Mr Foster said he was hopeful of 'significant progress' on the case.
He told The Pat Kenny Show: "I think there's an even, or even slightly better chance, that there will be significant progress in the case by - say - the end of the year.
"I am hopeful, I'm exploring some new leads that were passed on to me in the last few months or so.
"The other thing I would say is that allegiances shift over time - so people might come to reflect on their own personal knowledge of the case, and approach Gardaí even at this late stage.
"It's a cold case but it could warm up again - and it certainly should warm up again because Sophie's poor parents deserve closure, as does her son Pierre Louis".
Main image: A still of Sophie Toscan du Plantier from the Netflix documentary 'Sophie: A Murder in West Cork'. Picture by: Netflix
