It is a huge sigh that literally breathed Friday evening on the Borgne valley in the heart of the Cévennes, suddenly expiring four days of terror.
Shortly before 8 p.m., when the news of the unconditional or violent surrender of Valentin Marcone, the presumed killer of the sawmill, spread, emotion overwhelmed the village of Plantiers, barricaded in an entrenched camp since Tuesday morning.
“The inhabitants have found each other.
They cried, kissed.
For us, in a way, it's the end of a war.
We will now have to consider the rest, peace, ”explains Bernard Mounier, the mayor of the village, finally relieved of too much tension while several of his constituents felt directly threatened by the fugitive.
To read also "Excuse me, I surrender": the story of the end of Valentin Marcone's run in the Cévennes
“It's a bit of a liberation, although there is a lot of sadness since we lost two friends.
During all the searches, we slept little at night, we were on constant alert at the slightest suspicious noise, says Caroline Vicini, resident of the Serre de Pomaret north of the village.
We were very careful as soon as we left the house, especially after the gendarmes arrived here because of an alert.
Normal life will therefore resume, the families of the victims will have the right to a trial, but Luc, the boss of the sawmill, is no longer there.
And Martial either, she continues.
He was a 29-year-old, a good guy, an active member of the party committee.
Both were our friends ”.
"The scar will have difficulty closing"
“The whole valley will come back to life after four days and nights of fear. We had to support the population, especially the elderly, who had to be alerted to the danger and we had to reassure them at the same time. The period has been cruel, the scar will be difficult to close since two men from Plantiers lost their lives, ”says Régis Bourrely, the mayor of Saint-André-de-Valborgne, a neighboring town.
Yesterday evening, Henri, one of the inhabitants of the village of Plantiers, who had to be evicted from his home because he was targeted by the murderer, also expressed his intense relief.
“On Wednesday evening, the gendarmes and the mayor came to convince me to leave my house because the murderer at the sawmill had taken pictures of me and even of my car.
I will finally be able to go home, ”he explained from his refuge near Sommières.
This Saturday, the village will try to resume the course of life, but it will still have to face the consequences of this tragedy.
The dramatic death of two men from the village which leaves two families brutally bereaved.
And the family of Valentin Marcone, subjected to the distress caused by the crazy gesture of one of his family.
