Dutoit family murders On 30 September 1994, at about 5 p.m. the Dutoits were lured to the chalet in Morin-Heights, having been invited to dinner by Bellaton. According to the sequence of events by investigators, upon entering the house someone, likely Bellaton, lured Tony Dutoit to the basement bathroom. Waiting behind the door were Egger and Genoud, who knocked him unconscious with several dozen hits to the head with a
baseball bat. He struggled, but was stabbed repeatedly and died. As ordered by Di Mambro, these murders were carried out in a ritualistic fashion. Nicky was stabbed eight times in the back, four times in the throat, and once in each breast (each number of symbolic importance), while her husband was stabbed fifty times in the back. She, likely knowing what had happened to her husband, did not resist. Their child was stabbed six times, both with a knife and a wooden stake through the heart. The two adults died from multiple stab wounds and having their throats slit. Bellaton and Egger left for Switzerland at 10:10 p.m. the same day, using the Dutoits' car to drive to the airport. The Genouds spent the next four days cleaning up the scene, removing the blood residue, and preparing for death. On 4 October they set incendiary timers to go off and, while wearing robes and medals, laid out on a bed. The Genouds ingested
soporifics, before dying of
asphyxiation from
smoke inhalation when the fires began. They jammed chairs under the doorknobs to prevent responders reaching them to interrupt their suicides. The bodies of the Dutoits were hidden in a storage closet by the Genouds, wrapped in blankets and a carpet and hidden in a cellar alcove. Their child's body was found hidden behind a water heater, inside a
plastic bag with the stake. Antonio's body was also found with a plastic bag over his head. According to telephone records, Di Mambro was informed of the success of the plan. Those who died in the incident were: • Antonio Dutoit, 36 • Suzanne Dutoit, 34 • Christopher Dutoit, 3 months • Jerry Genoud, 39 • Colette Genoud, 63
Cheiry massacre During the night from 2 to 3 October 1994, 23 died in Cheiry. Two victims, Albert Giacobino and Marie-Lou Rebaudo, were likely killed first, with Rebaudo being shot, the evidence showing she had tried to defend herself, and Giacobino being smothered. Their bodies were found far away from the others, indicating that someone may have tried to hide them. Some of the victims had died much earlier than the others, and following their deaths their bodies were moved. Some of the dead were shot more than three times in the head. Eight of the dead had plastic bags over their heads: this may have been done to burn their faces faster. 20 of the dead had been shot with one gun; 21 of them had died from gunshot wounds, previously drugged with sleeping pills, with another two dying of suffocation from plastic bags (Pilet and Pfaehler). Several of the bodies in Cheiry showed signs of a struggle. 8 of the bodies in Cheiry were arranged in a circle shape, with the bodies radiating out like wheel spokes; all were wearing silk capes of white, black or gold. Some of the dead had their hands tied. The bodies were all located in a room beyond a corridor only accessible through a secret door, from a salon, itself hidden. This room was full of religious and esoteric symbolism, including a sword, crosses, chalices, and occult ritual items. Past that room was another smaller one, octagonal shaped with walls covered with
mirrors, where 3 more bodies were located. In a room adjacent to this there was another body, which was by itself. The depot in the Cheiry crypt where the bodies were found had its doors held closed with a wire being put between the door handles and the frame. 52 spent shells were found in Cheiry. In the hours before the deaths in Cheiry, Daniel Jaton repeatedly called Jouret, Di Mambro, and Egger on the phone, likely playing a significant role; under his body was found the same string used to tie two victims in Cheiry, and some of the substances used in the killings were found in his home. Victims had been killed with a
Smith & Wesson .22 LR pistol, bought by Egger the previous year. Egger also set up the ignition system used to burn the building down. The ones who had killed the others in Cheiry were Egger and Jouret, though it is possible they were not the only ones. Following the deaths in Cheiry, Jouret was recorded as calling Di Mambro, possibly to inform him that it had been a success, and shortly after so did Egger. At about 6 a.m. Jouret left Cheiry for Salvan. At about 8 a.m., the Cheiry mailman witnessed a red
Ford Fiesta, containing 3 or 4 young men, coming from the farm and heading down to the village. Soon after, he saw the same men near the cemetery near a car that belonged to Colette Genoud, where they found her will.
Salvan massacre At this time, Di Mambro was in Salvan; he, with several of the most faithful, were seen at a restaurant there on 3 October. They were noted to have an "absent and sad air" and barely ate. By this time Di Mambro may have already had his son Elie killed as a "traitor", the first death in Salvan: his body was found alone, off to the side from the others. On 4 October at 6:30 a.m, Joselyne Di Mambro called the wife of Robert Falardeau, who, sensing that something was wrong, asked where her husband was. Joselyne told her that her husband was with
Michel Tabachnik and not to worry (in reality, at this time Tabachnik was conducting an orchestra in
Denmark and her husband was already dead). At 10 a.m., Jouret was seen in a grocery store buying
garbage bags of different sizes, later used to cover the heads of the dead. The fires in Morin-Heights were discovered by the police at 1:40 p.m. in Swiss time. At 4 p.m., Jouret called a locksmith from the chalet, pretending he had lost his keys. According to Thierry Huguenin, Jouret and Di Mambro had planned for there to be exactly 54 dead, in connection with 54 Templars who had been burned at the stake in the fourteenth century. This was to allow an immediate magic contact with these departed Templars. Huguenin had met with Di Mambro near Salvan that day, but became uncomfortable and sensed danger, smelling gasoline. When the locksmith arrived and the door opened, Huguenin fled the scene at the last minute, which left the death toll at only 53. Vuarnet arrived and was given the transit letters by Di Mambro: he later said he did not notice anything strange, except that several members had a strange expression, especially Egger, who he said "wasn't in his right mind". What happened after this is not known. At 11:33 p.m., Di Mambro called Egger a final time, a 39-second call. Egger shortly after triggered the remote-control ignition system via
telephone. From 11:42 p.m. to 12:12 a.m. he called the Cheiry farm three times, triggering the ignition system, before doing the same to the group's hideout in
Aubignan and one of Di Mambro's apartments in
Territet. However while many of the OTS properties had been rigged to burn, several of the ignition systems failed, and only the Cheiry farm and two chalets in Salvan burned. The fires were ignited with a sophisticated automatic ignition system, involving timers, phones, heating rods and plastic bags full of the chemicals
gasoline and
benzene. 25 were found dead in Granges-sur-Salvan. The bodies were spread around two of the chalets, while one was empty. Most of the bodies in Salvan were burned beyond recognition, and Jouret and Di Mambro's bodies had to be identified via
dental records. The gun used in the Cheiry killings was found in Salvan. The dead had been injected with a
curare,
opioid and
benzodiazepine-based poison. Among the opioids and benzodiazepines found were
fentanyl,
flunitrazepam,
metoclopramide, and
diazepam. According to the investigative report, it is likely that the fatal injections at Salvan were done by Line Lheureux (an
anesthesiologist), with Annie Egger doing the same to the children. A note found on Di Mambro's body, written by him, declared: "Your Transit must be assured of total success, but that depends on you." At some time during this period (investigators could never place exactly when) the members in Salvan recorded a final video tape, later discovered by investigators, showing about a dozen of the followers in their last meal, including Jouret, Di Mambro, Pilet, the Eggers, and several others. During the tape, the members sing
The Knights of the Round Table; in another part, Pilet tries and fails to contact the "Masters". The members then drink something and fall asleep. The film ends showing two of the children, before moving to Di Mambro's wife, all already dead. This may have indicated that the dead were killed prior and others were moved to Cheiry, though this point was never raised by investigators. Those who died in the incident were:
Cheiry • Françoise Belanger, 55 • Guy Berenger, 60 • Leopoldo Cabrera Gil, 39 • Robert Falardeau, 47 • Albert Giacobino, 72 • Jocelyne Grand'Maison, 44 • Daniel Jaton, 49 • Madeleine Jaton, 47 • Armelle Jaton, 16 • Lionel Jaton, 18 • Nicole Koymans, 66 • Robert Ostiguy, 50 • Françoise Ostiguy, 47 • Fabienne Paulus, 40 • Jean-Léon Paulus, 49 • Christian Pechot, 49 • Christine Pechot, 50 • Sébastien Pechot, 12 • Marie-Christine Pertue, 42 • Renée Pfaehler, 79 •
Camille Pilet, 68 • Marie-Louise Rebaudo, 52 • Séverine Vullien, 23
Salvan • Dominique Bellaton, 36 • Caroline Berenger, 4 • Madeline Berenger, 38 • Bernadette Bise, 58 • Carole Cadorette, 39 • Odile Dancet, 48 • Siegfried "Elie" Di Mambro, 25 • Emmanuelle Di Mambro, 12 • Joselyne Di Mambro, 45 •
Joseph Di Mambro, 70 • Joël Egger, 35 • Annie Egger, 30 • Martin Germain, 54 • Cécile Germain, 53 •
Luc Jouret, 47 • Josiane Kesseler, 43 • Pauline Lemonde, 56 • Jacques Levy, 37 • Annie Levy, 42 • Line Lheureux-Bod, 56 • Vanina Lheureux-Bod, 10 • Fabienne Noirjean, 35 • Maryse Severino, 46 • Aude Severino, 15 • Jean-Pierre Vinet, 55 Most of those killed in Salvan were long time members, including both Di Mambro and Jouret, as well as Di Mambro's wife, mistresses, and daughter Emmanuelle. Also killed was his son Elie, who had previously distanced himself from the group. Both the killers of the Dutoits, Joël Egger and Dominique Bellaton, also died in Salvan. Vinet, Cadorette, and Lemonde (all dying in Salvan) were considered among the "Awakened". The "Immortals" all died at Salvan; according to academics Shannon Clusel and
Susan J. Palmer it is not known how many of them consented to death prior, and how many were simply murdered, but according to journalist Arnaud Bédat everyone at Salvan likely agreed to die, with the exception of Elie. Many of the dead in Cheiry were among the "Traitors", except Pilet and Pfaehler, who were probably "Awakened"; also included among the "Traitors" were the Dutoits. Everyone in Cheiry was killed. Some of those who died in Cheiry were murdered for revenge, but others were still close to the group. Of the dead, seven were children, four of which were in Salvan and three in Cheiry. It is not known whether their parents all knowingly brought their children with them to die. There were 15 Awakened, 30 Immortals, and 8 Traitors. The members, including the dead, were noted to be, relative to other cults, high status and influential individuals. They included Jocelyne Grand’Maison, one of the business correspondents of the Canadian newspaper
Le Journal de Québec, Robert Ostiguy, a wealthy businessman and the mayor of
Richelieu, Quebec, Guy Berenger, a
nuclear engineer from France, and Robert Falardeau, who was an official for the
Government of Quebec. Jean-Pierre Vinet had been an official at
Hydro-Québec, the state-operated power utility of Quebec. == Discovery ==