France beheading attack: Suspect Yassin Salhi took a 'selfie' with his victim's head and sent it to a number in Canada, officials say
Salhi has reportedly told investigators he murdered and beheaded his boss due to 'problems at home and at work’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The man accused of murdering and beheading his boss in France on Friday took a “selfie” with his victim’s head and sent the picture to a number in Canada, officials have said.
Yassin Salhi reportedly told investigators on Sunday that he had murdered Hervé Cornara “due to problems at home and at work,” though detectives suspect the attack was motivated by his links with radical Islam and Isis.
Salhi took two “selfies” of himself with the severed head of his boss around an hour before he placed the head on the fence of the factory both men worked at in Sanit-Quintin fallavier, according to officials.
He then drove his van into the warehouse containing inflammable chemicals in what investigators suppose was an attempt at a suicide bombing, but which ended in a minor explosion that injured himself and two others.
One of the “selfies” allegedly taken by Salhi had been sent to a number in Toronto, Canada, via WhatsApp. Some have suggested this was a staging post and that the message was instead sent to an acquaintance fighting with Isis in Syria, but investigators have said it is too early to speculate over this. Canadian police are now investigating.
Salhi, who has a history of ties to Islamic extremists, remained on custody on Sunday with his wife and sister.
Additional reporting by agencies
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments