He disappeared from the list of French supercentenarians

https://centenaires-francais.forumactif.org/t137-1-centenaires-de-110-ans-et

Wait, did he actually reach supercentenarian status or not then

Mr. Benoist's death was allegedly concealed for several months, according to Fr3.

https://france3-regions.franceinfo.fr/occitanie/haute-garonne/toulouse/le-fils-d-un-riche-centenaire-mis-en-examen-il-est-suspecte-d-avoir-continue-a-profiter-de-son-argent-apres-l-avoir-enterre-dans-le-jardin-3155273.html

The son of a wealthy centenarian is under investigation and is suspected of having continued to enjoy his money after burying it in the garden.

The son of a wealthy centenarian, whose body was found buried in the garden of one of his properties in Toulouse, has been charged. He kept silent for months from the rest of the family and continued to benefit from his deceased father's money.

Did he want to enjoy the inheritance alone? This question is at the heart of an unusual case revealed this Friday, May 16, 2025, by the regional daily, La Dépêche du Midi. The son of a 109-year-old aristocrat was arrested by the Toulouse judicial police as part of a homicide investigation. The centenarian's body was found, mummified, and buried on one of his properties in early April.

Buried Months Earlier
René Benoist de Saint-Ange, a former drawing and art history professor and decorated officer of the Academic Palms, was born on February 20, 1915, in Toulouse. A descendant of French nobility, according to the Dépêche du Midi, he had a fortune of several million euros and several properties. The centenarian lived with his son Jean on the family estate in Lamothe-Capdeville in Tarn-et-Garonne. But in early April 2025, after his disappearance was reported, the police began searching. The body of René Benoist de Saint-Ange was discovered buried in his garden in Toulouse. Approached a few days earlier by investigators, his son Jean had fled.

The autopsy revealed that the old man had been dead for several months. His body appeared mummified, but it reportedly showed no injuries that could support a possible criminal investigation.

Indicted
Jean's son was finally found on May 14, 2025. He reportedly confessed to having buried his father in accordance with his father's last wishes. However, he struggled to explain why he remained silent about his grandfather's death while continuing to profit from his money.

Aged 67, he was charged this Friday, May 16, 2025, with aggravated fraud, breach of trust, and unauthorized burial, the Toulouse public prosecutor, David Charmatz, confirmed to us.

I can't believe that, not just we thought he made it to 110 but the fact that he would do something like this to his grandfather. The confirmation that had him supposedly making it to 110 was either assumed or that they thought he was still alive at the time

Posted by: @billy-robinson

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I can't believe that, not just we thought he made it to 110 but the fact that he would do something like this to his grandfather. The confirmation that had him supposedly making it to 110 was either assumed or that they thought he was still alive at the time

You are the only one assuming here. The 110th birthday had been confirmed by a source who could contact the son and  this source was deemed reliable (check the French forum to see the original post). There was also a new information that we learnt thanks to this contact in February : he did not only live in Lamothe-Capdeville, but also spent some time in Toulouse. Of course, now that we know about this sad case, it is likely that Mr Benoist's death was already being concealed back then.

Please also note that some journalists say he was buried in Toulouse (Fr3 for instance), whereas others say he was buried in Lamothe-Capdeville (le nouveau détective for instance). Do you think the journalists assumed or wrote what they thought?

According to journalists, he had been declared missing in april 2025.

As Ale said, it's a shock.. and it is shameful.

RIP

Yes, I understand that his 110th birthday had been confirmed by a reliable source but he wasn't actually alive back then right if he had been concealed for several months.