Brothers Samuel and Jeremy Y., 33 years old, are among 5 men on trial for the murders of Tidiane B., 17, and Sofiane M., 25, on 14/9/2020 in Saint-Ouen, a northern suburb of Paris. They also face charges of conspiracy to murder 6 people in a shooting on 3/10/2020. These incidents are linked to drug trafficking and gang violence in France.
The twins are accused of conspiring to murder Tidiane and Sofiane. According to Liberation, the two victims were shot dead in a housing complex in Soubise, suspected of being a drug dealing spot.
DNA found on the assault rifle used in the october 2020 shooting belonged to one of the two twin brothers. However, forensic experts could not identify which one because both share identical DNA.
According to Le Parisien, the brothers are identical twins, meaning they were born from the same fertilized egg and possess identical DNA. This similarity has prevented authorities from distinguishing between them during the investigation and in court.
"Only their mother can tell them apart", an investigator stated during the trial, which began on 9/2/2020 at the Seine-Saint-Denis Criminal Court, north of Paris.
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The crime scene in Saint-Ouen, september 2020. *Photo: Le Parisien*
Sources indicate that the atmosphere in the courtroom where the trial is ongoing is tense. Both brothers were reportedly expelled from the courtroom for refusing to stand.
Police accuse the twins of exploiting their identical appearance to obstruct the investigation by frequently swapping clothes, phones, and other traceable items.
"They exchanged clothes, phone numbers, and identification documents. For a long time, they have exploited this similarity to facilitate their criminal activities", the commander of the Criminal Police Brigade told the media.
Since genetic data cannot differentiate the two, investigators rely on analyzing surveillance video footage, phone wiretaps, and call records to verify their identities and movements. However, the crucial question of who fired the weapon remains unanswered.
The trial is ongoing, with the court expected to deliver a verdict in late february.
