The Tourist
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What happened to Xavier Balagant on the night of July 19, 2011?
Hi everyone, it's Delia D'Ambra here, and I want to tell you about a podcast that's one of my personal favorites that I know you're going to love too. Dark Down East. Hosted by my friend and fellow investigative journalist Kylie Lowe, Dark Down East dives into New England's most haunting true crime cases. From unsolved mysteries to stories where justice has been served, Kylie brings her meticulous research and heartfelt storytelling to uncover the truth behind these cases. If you love the way I take you deep into the details of a case, then I know you'll appreciate Kylie's dedication to honoring the victims. And uncovering their stories. There are so many episodes of Dark Down East already waiting for you, and new episodes every Thursday.
Find Dark Down East now wherever you listen to podcasts. Hi Park Enthusiasts, I'm your host, Dilia DeAmbra. And the story I'm gonna tell you today is one of those cases that has literally been in the back of my mind for years. I first came across it while researching a previous two-part episode of Park Predators titled The Shootings. In this episode, I'm diving into another mind-boggling case from the French countryside. The two investigations involve different victims, different locations, and different agencies. But there's an all too familiar theme. A lone shooter emerges from seemingly nowhere, guns down innocent tourists on a scenic roadway, and has no problem doing so in front of young children.
Because these crimes are so similar, there's even been some speculation that they could be connected to the same killer. So buckle up, because if you think you know the story of what happened to 29-year-old Xavier Balagon in the summer of 2011, you're probably wrong. This is Park Predators.
Between four and five in the morning on Tuesday, july nineteenth, twenty eleven, a man named Jose, who lived in Nivelle, Belgium, awoke to the sound of someone knocking on his door. When he got up and answered, I imagine he was a bit surprised to see law enforcement officials staring back at him. The officials informed José that they weren't there to speak with him. They wanted to speak with his girlfriend, 28-year-old Mihela, because they had some unfortunate news they needed to inform her of. When Mihayla came to the door, she learned that her ex-husband and father of her two young sons, 29-year-old Xavier Balagon, was dead. The officials explained to her that French authorities, about three and a half hours away near Nancy, France, had
found him with gunshot wounds outside a rest area on a highway called the A-31. Even more shocking was that officials told her they suspected Xavier had died by suicide. Which right away was a detail that did not sit right with Mihayla. You see, she and Xavier had been divorced and co-parenting their two boys for years. She'd known him since she was nineteen. And at least to her, him dying by suicide just wasn't something that she'd ever see him doing. Several days earlier, Xavier and their sons had traveled from Belgium to France to spend a week camping with his parents, Jean Luc and Katia. That trip was reportedly something he and the boys would do with his side of the family every summer. The particular town they'd holidayed in was Joyus, France, which is about 10 hours south of Nivelle.
Obviously concerned by the situation, Mihela and Jose grabbed their stuff and immediately headed to the region of France that Xavier. In addition to the horrific news about her former partner, she was also worried about the status and well-being of their two young sons. The previous evening, around eight o'clock, Xavier had told her he and the boys were gonna drive ten straight hours through the night to avoid hitting traffic. The plan was for him to text her when they got going so that she would have a rough idea of when he'd be back in Nivelle to drop them off. But Mahila had never received a text message from Xavier. She'd stayed up waiting for one, but eventually when it got super late, She ended up falling asleep and didn't wake up until those officials showed up to speak with her at Jose's place.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What happened to Xavier Balagant on the night of July 19, 2011?
0:00–4:07
2
How did French authorities initially misclassify Xavier’s death as a suicide?
4:07–8:37
3
What evidence linked the crime scene to a Swiss‑made Schmidt‑Rubin K‑31 rifle?
8:37–12:42
4
Who were the truck drivers at the rest area and why were they questioned?
12:42–17:27
5
What did investigators discover about the cut fence, cigarette butt and possible DNA clues?
17:27–21:46
6
Why was a contract‑killing theory considered and then dismissed?
21:46–26:20
7
How might the Lake Annecy murders be connected to Xavier’s case?
26:20–30:00
8
What is the current status of the investigation and how can listeners help?
30:00–33:50