A woman and her lover are on trial in the Cour d'assises of Puy-de-Dôme in Riom, France, for charges of murder and poisoning. The trial, which began recently, is expected to last until Friday. The case stems from the death of a 47-year-old commercial manager found in a pool of blood in his villa on July 29, 2022. His 40-year-old girlfriend, who was not his wife, discovered the body after being alerted by the victim’s employer, who had noticed his absence. She found bloodstains near the entrance of their home and notified the neighborhood. She quickly admitted to having a lover with whom she had spent the night, describing a strained relationship with her partner, whom she accused of infidelity. However, this accusation has not been confirmed by the investigation. During the investigation, messages were discovered between the woman and her lover, exchanged two days before the murder. These messages included phrases like "tomorrow night, it's dead," "the principle is that no one seeks him out," and "Thursday is perfect." Based on this evidence, investigators persuaded the 39-year-old lover—also a commercial professional—to admit to being the murderer. During court hearings, he claimed that his mistress was present and had participated by striking the victim. He described the incident as a "punitive expedition," but the victim resisted. After suffering multiple violent blows, the victim was strangled with a tire iron on the floor. The house was then ransacked, and jewelry was taken to make it look like a burglary. Both the woman and her lover are also accused of attempting to poison the victim a few weeks before his death. They deny any involvement, with the woman’s lawyers stating that no evidence places her at the scene and that the charges against her remain "particularly ambiguous." The woman’s legal representatives, Me Clément Diakonoff and Me Loïc Sarrat, made these comments to AFP. The lawyer for the lover, Me Maud Vian, did not comment on the case. If convicted, both defendants could face life imprisonment. The trial continues as the court weighs the evidence and testimonies to determine the truth behind the victim’s death.