Disparition Lina: Key Insights and Progress in the Investigation

The case of disparition Lina has captivated the public, with the 15-year-old adolescent mysteriously disappearing on September 23, 2023, in Saint-Blaise-la-Roche, Alsace. On that fateful Saturday, Lina was scheduled to take a train to meet her boyfriend, Tao, in Strasbourg, traveling three kilometers on foot along a familiar route. However, she never arrived at her destination, and her family lost contact with her. After a year of investigation, a major breakthrough occurred this summer with the identification of a suspect: Samuel Gonin, a 43-year-old family man struggling with psychiatric issues. Tragically, he took his own life on July 10, before law enforcement could question him.

Through witness interviews and surveillance footage, investigators compiled a list of vehicles to review from that morning. Eventually, they located one of the cars—900 kilometers away in a Narbonne impound lot. Inside, they found Lina's handbag and her DNA on the back seat. The gray Ford Puma had been stolen in Germany a month before her disappearance. Gonin had a troubled history, having been arrested in January 2023 for drug-related offenses, leading to a sentenced of 15 months in prison with probation.

In the 2010s, Gonin resided in a peaceful neighborhood in Besançon, where he worked as a salesman. He was managing bipolar disorder with treatment, and locals described him as a pleasant individual. Yet the community lost track of him suddenly, leaving many puzzled about his whereabouts and the sequence of events leading up to Lina's disappearance.