A skeleton discovered beneath the church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul in Wolder, a neighborhood of Maastricht in the Netherlands, has triggered a long-running historical and scientific inquiry into whether it belongs to Charles de Batz de Castelmore, famously known as d'Artagnan. A descendant of d'Artagnan, Aymeri de Montesquiou, has provided hair and blood samples for DNA comparison. Historian Odile Bordaz and archaeologist Wim Dijkman have led the investigation for over thirty years, believing the site might be where d'Artagnan is buried. D'Artagnan is a legendary figure from the novels of Alexandre Dumas, but he was also a real person, a notable 17th-century French officer who inspired contemporary writers like Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras. In April 2025, the city of Maastricht took control of the investigation, restricting communication about the sensitive matter. Wim Dijkman, the former municipal archaeologist, had obtained permission to excavate the site in 2025 due to subsidence in the church floor. However, the initial excavations were labeled "illegal" by the municipality, and Dijkman was placed in custody at the end of May 2026. He refused to return a fragment of humerus and two teeth taken from the skeleton, which had been sent to the Institute of Legal Medicine at the University of Munich for analysis. These bones have since been returned, and the city has now entrusted a new excavation to a private firm, Baac Archeologie, and Saxion University of Applied Sciences. The Medical Center of the University of Maastricht is conducting a forensic investigation, including isotopic analysis to determine the geographical origin of the skeleton and to extract information from ancient DNA. Preliminary results suggest the skeleton is that of a man about 1.74 meters tall who died between the ages of 44 and 66, a range that includes d'Artagnan’s age at death, 62. However, carbon-14 dating is not reliable due to a large margin of error, and isotopic analysis suggests a diet rich in sea fish or an origin more eastern than the Gascon region where d'Artagnan was born. There is no known isotopic data for 17th-century musketeers, whose military campaigns might have altered their diets. A musket ball found in the thoracic area of the skeleton was later identified as a simple nail, and a coin from 1660 bearing the image of Louis XIV was found nearby, consistent with a French officer who died during the siege of Maastricht. However, due to the lack of definitive evidence, historical records continue to guide the researchers. Archives show that d'Artagnan died in battle on June 25, 1673, in Maastricht, at the age of 62, while serving as a field marshal. He was killed during a counterattack by the Dutch, and his body was reportedly taken behind the lines by his fellow musketeers. King Louis XIV expressed his grief in a letter to Queen Marie-Thérèse. Historian Odile Bordaz and archaeologist Wim Dijkman reinitiated the investigation in the 1990s, beginning with a plan of the siege of Maastricht drawn by the military engineer Vauban. This plan showed the headquarters of Louis XIV installed in Wolder, with the musketeers camping near the Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul church. A detail caught their attention: the king ordered the Protestant building to be returned to Catholic worship. This led to the discovery of a burial act in a parish register, indicating that an important person was buried in the church during the siege. The skeleton was found under the location of the old 17th-century altar, one of the most prestigious places in the church. The investigation into the skeleton’s identity has now turned to genetics. Ancient DNA analyses, initiated by the team appointed by Maastricht, are expected to take at least five months. Professor Maarten Larmuseau, a specialist in genetic genealogy, highlights the need to test as many family branches as possible, since genealogy is not always biology. Aymeri de Montesquiou, from the maternal line of d'Artagnan, has provided samples, but other descendants of d'Artagnan’s paternal line in France would also need to contribute. A possible match would strongly support the hypothesis, but its absence would not be enough to rule out the possibility. If the DNA confirms the identity of the deceased, the scientific investigation would give way to diplomatic discussions about where d'Artagnan should be reburied. Options include the Invalides in France, Maastricht, or Lupiac in the Gers region, the birthplace of the musketeer. Wim Hillenaar, the mayor of Maastricht, has avoided directly answering whether the remains might be returned to France, expressing anticipation for discussions with French authorities.