Lyon, March 17 – Nicolas Zepeda, a Chilean national, is set to be re-tried starting this Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Lyon for the 2016 murder of Narumi Kurosaki, a Japanese student in Besançon. This marks the third legal proceeding for Zepeda, following the annulment of his previous conviction by the Court of Cassation due to a procedural irregularity.
A Case Without a Body or Confession
Despite the absence of a body, direct evidence, or a confession, the jury will be tasked with forming a conviction based on a compelling body of circumstantial evidence. Zepeda was initially sentenced to twenty-eight years in prison in 2022, a sentence upheld on appeal in 2023. However, in 2025, his conviction was overturned by the Court of Cassation, a rare occurrence in French legal history.
This new trial before the Rhône Assize Court is expected to be extraordinary, involving Japanese and Spanish translators, remote testimonies from three continents, and coverage from approximately sixty French and international journalists.
Nicolas Zepeda, now 36, vehemently denies the charges, despite what the prosecution describes as the “obvious” elements of a premeditated “femicide” followed by the concealment of the 21-year-old student’s body. The prosecution and the public prosecutor from the previous trials have meticulously reconstructed the events.
The Disappearance of Narumi Kurosaki
Narumi Kurosaki, who had recently arrived from Japan to study French in Besançon, was last seen alive on December 4, 2016, returning to her university residence. That night, neighbors reported hearing terrifying screams, described as being “like something from a horror movie.”
Narumi and Nicolas Zepeda had been in a relationship since 2014 in Japan. A month after her arrival in Besançon, she informed Zepeda, who had returned to Chile, that she was ending their relationship due to his possessive and inquisitive nature. She had also started a new relationship with a French student.
After sending Narumi a series of messages, alternating between affectionate and threatening, Zepeda traveled to France at the end of November. He initially told investigators he was there for academic research.
However, cell phone tower data, GPS records from his rental car, and testimonies from students who saw him near and even inside the residence, indicate that he had been stalking Narumi for four days.
Zepeda initially claimed he had parked his car by chance on December 4 and that Narumi had coincidentally encountered him. He stated that after dinner at a restaurant, they returned to her room and had consensual sexual relations. Regarding the screams, Zepeda asserted that Narumi had been “expressive in her moans.”
“Consistent Evidence” Points to Femicide
The investigation uncovered numerous “consistent pieces of evidence” demonstrating, as the public prosecutor argued in the initial trials, that a spurned Zepeda, consumed by his pride as a “wounded male,” premeditated and committed a “femicide,” a crime of “possession.”
According to the magistrate, Zepeda strangled or suffocated Narumi and then buried or submerged her body in a wooded area bordered by a river. His GPS and phone records confirm he spent time in this area five days prior to the disappearance and again after leaving Narumi’s room.
The defense has consistently argued that in the absence of a body and material evidence, Zepeda should be acquitted due to reasonable doubt. In Lyon, his lawyer, Sylvain Cormier, maintains that they will be “determined to prove his innocence.”
Investigators ruled out the possibility of Narumi running away. Her wallet, containing 565 euros, her two bank cards, winter coat, shoes, mobile phone, and SNCF card were all left in her room, which showed signs of a “recent” cleaning with detergent.
Further evidence includes Zepeda’s purchase on December 1 of a five-liter canister of combustible liquid, matches, and a bleach spray detergent. His car and phone records also place him in Narumi’s room for over twenty-four hours.
“Inconsistent Messages” and Other Suspicious Actions
In the days following Narumi’s disappearance, “inconsistent” emails and messages were sent from her accounts to her French boyfriend, the university, and friends, assuring them that she was in Lyon to renew her student visa – a formality typically handled by the Japanese consulate in Strasbourg.
Additionally, on December 6, Zepeda purchased a TGV train ticket from Besançon to Lyon in Narumi’s name online, from a shopping center where he was located. However, passengers on the same train car confirmed that Narumi never boarded.
Finally, in Barcelona, before embarking for Chile, Zepeda questioned his cousin about “death by asphyxiation” and how to determine if a person is “alive or dead” after hanging.
The trial is expected to conclude on March 26 or 27.
