A 42-year-old man has been detained in connection with the death of Prince Albert II of Monaco’s relative, Antoine de Massy.
De Massy, the son of Christian de Massy, Prince Albert II’s first cousin, was found dead on Oct. 25 in a park near the Villa Sauber, a historic villa and art museum, in Monaco. He was 29.
Attorney General of Monaco, Stéphane Thibault, told local outlet Nice Matin that “a judicial inquiry was opened this morning and entrusted to an investigating judge so that he may continue the investigations into the facts classified as involuntary manslaughter and failure to assist a person in danger.”
“The suspect, a 42-year-old Ukrainian national who has resided in Monaco for thirty years, denied the charges during his police custody,” Thibault continued.
The man was brought before a judge but has declined to answer any questions, according to Thibault.
“The judge has charged him with failure to assist a person in danger and manslaughter—for acts that may have occurred at different times—and remanded him in custody,” Thibault added.
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“All hypotheses are on the table, including that of a simple accident,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement
The body of De Massy was found on Sunday night in a park and authorities are still determining the cause of death, according to Monaco’s prosecutor’s office.
Prince Albert and his wife Princess Charlène announced the death in a statement on Monday.
“Their Serene Highnesses Prince Albert II and Princess Charlène learned with sadness of the death of Antoine de Massy, aged 29, grandson of Princess Antoinette, the elder sister of Prince Rainier III,” the Palace said in a statement.
“A keen tennis player, he was part of a family history closely linked to the sport in the Principality,” the statement continued. “Their Highnesses share in the grief of his family and loved ones and offer them their sincere condolences at this painful time.”
Local paper Monaco-Matin reported that a relative became worried when De Massy missed a family lunch on Sunday and repordly went to Monaco’s Public Security department.
De Massy was found dead hours later in a garden behind Villa Sauber, according to the outlet.
—With files from Reuters
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