The mysterious case of Leslie and Kevin, the couple in their twenties whose disappearance keeps France in suspense

The disappearance of a couple in their twenties two months ago continues to shock France and loosed an unprecedented citizen mobilization to find them.

Leslie Hoorelbeke22 years old, her boyfriend Kevin Trompat21, and her dog Onyx disappeared a little over two months ago in Prahecqa small town in the region of Deux-Sevres (central-west). Since then her faces have invaded the media and social networks in France, fueling attention on a mystery which still has no apparent solution.

The case began on Friday November 25, 2022when Leslie and Kevin were invited to a party at a friends house in Prahecqa village of about 2,000 inhabitants.

Karine Pratt, partner of Kevin’s father, had also attended the party. He said that he wore 10,000 euros in cash at Kevin’s request to buy a car. Karine is in a relationship with Guy Trompat, Kévin’s father, for three years. The man is currently incarcerated, which raised suspicions.

The woman said that the young man had met a group of people in the town square and when he returned “He didn’t look good.”

“Normally, Kevin does not stress, he is always relaxed,” he told the outlet. La Nouvelle Republique. But she was gone “to a meeting in the church square and when he returned he did not look well”.

“He talked about five guys in a car he didn’t know who were staring at him. I suggested that we go see together, but she didn’t want to come back. She went to throw cold water on her face and kept going,” she recounted. Around 22:30, Karine Pratt went home.

At 3 in the morning, Leslie and Kevin they left the party to go to sleep at a friend’s house, Tom, about ten meters away from the place. At that moment, they disappeared. When he returned to his house, Tom said that he had not found any of the boys’ belongings at home. The dog was not there either.

the car of leslie It was still parked on the street. The young woman’s phone rang for the last time in nort, a few kilometers away, around noon. According to relatives of the missing, Kevin’s phone made his last call in fourasa locality on the Atlantic in the same region of Prahecq.

The next day, the father and his partner reported the mysterious disappearance. In mid-December, the authorities opened an investigation into “kidnapping”.

A few days later, the couple’s belongings were found in a clothing container near surgeresin Charente-Maritime: Kevin’s driving license, Leslie’s work clothes and shoes.

On January 5, Karine Pratt organized a citizen search in Prahecq and its surroundings following the advice of a guess.

About a hundred people participated. Nothing was discovered.

The investigators believe that the young people could have had an “unfortunate encounter”, according to the French press, although they also do not rule out that the boys have planned their escape due to a problem related to drug trafficking.

Karine Prat, however, said she was convinced that the young people were kidnapped.

“If they want to rob you, they knock you out, take the money and leave you on the side of the road. But why are they holding them back?” she said. “If they are kidnapped, at some point there will be psychological trauma. Two months leave their mark. And what are they doing to them? What’s the point? We are not rich like Croesus, we do not roll in money. And they didn’t ask us for anything…”.

Still, he added, “after two months, you have to expect anything… But you want to keep hope alive, that keeps you going. Sometimes at night I wake up crying, I try to get it out of my head. I dont want to think about it”.

He also said that he found Kevin’s passport.

“When I was cleaning, I found Kevin’s passport under the sofa. At least I can tell myself that he cannot leave the European Union, ”he said. “I took him to the police on January 26. I know they are doing a lot of work, but for us, two months without news is a long time, we would like things to go faster.”

She already has a son from a previous marriage, “But Kevin I also consider my son” and “it is the worst pain, not knowing where your children are”. Not knowing is the worst. You don’t know what to think, it’s horrible,” she says.

Alone, she tries to manage the situation. While she awaits news of the young man and the return of his father “in mid-February”. Like Leslie’s parents, she doesn’t quite know what to do: “I’ve cleaned Kevin’s room, his bed is made. Everything is ready for his return ”.

Keep reading: