The man suspected of murdering his 17-year-old son in their apartment in Nice has been charged. The fifty-year-old was placed in provisional detention on Thursday, August 6, for murder.
Fabrice H., a 59-year-old nursing assistant and father of the child, was brought before the Judge of Freedoms and Detention (JLD: editor’s note) on Thursday, August 6, 2026, according to the Public Prosecutor, Sabine Neale. He was charged with murder, for having premeditated the offense. The suspect was placed in provisional detention yesterday evening.
“A moment of madness evoked by the father
During his hearing before the JLD, Willian Fezas, the fifty-year-old, spoke of a “moment of madness”, according to Nice-Matin. Not denying the act committed, the suspect spoke of a “big mistake” to which the judge firmly replied: “it is a crime!” which he described as “appalling”.
The father of the 17-year-old was advised by his ex-partner to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. Fabrice H. was supposed to have his appointment, scheduled by his son, on Wednesday, August 5, according to Nice-Matin. The suspect, having expressed no remorse during the hearing, stated that he should have sought help sooner.
The prosecution: “an authoritarian and temperamental person “
During his interviews, Fabrice H. admitted to the facts. He also explained to investigators how he proceeded to murder his son on Monday, August 3, 2026. He first took a pillow, then suffocated him by placing it over his face. The suspect then strangled him with the cord of an iron in their residence located at 3 rue des étoiles, in the Madeleine district in Nice. The fifty-year-old then cut the left side of his neck with a knife in an attempt to commit suicide.
The police officers, whom the suspect called, discovered a letter written by Fabrice H. in the apartment’s bathroom. In this letter, the fifty-year-old explained that he wanted to die with his son while blaming his partner for being responsible by deciding to divorce him.
The suspect subsequently used two body bags, stolen from his workplace at Archet 2, to place himself and his son inside and send a photo to his ex-wife.
It should be noted that on Saturday, August 1, the teenager’s mother filed a complaint against Fabrice H. for domestic violence and harassment. The woman subsequently fled the family home a few days before the tragedy. The prosecution described the father as an “authoritarian and temperamental person, with a controlling attitude” accustomed to “emotional blackmail”, according to Nice-Matin. He had a habit of using their son to prevent his mother from leaving him.
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