Two Convicted in 2021 Saint-Ouen Murder, Five Acquitted

The court sentenced two men to 17 and 19 years for the brutal killing of Kevin Guerrier, while acquitting five others due to insufficient evidence.

Kevin Guerrier, a 26-year-old, was killed in January 2021 in Saint-Ouen, receiving 14 blows from a barbed-wire-wrapped bat and 35 knife wounds.
The court convicted Chakibe Abzar and Karim Lmghari, who admitted to attacking Guerrier, sentencing them to 19 and 17 years in prison, respectively.
Five other defendants were acquitted due to lack of evidence, despite initial prosecution demands for sentences ranging from 10 to 27 years.
Prosecutors argued the murder was a targeted 'punitive expedition' tied to drug trafficking disputes, though the defense claimed it was a spontaneous fight unrelated to narcotics.
The trial highlighted a culture of silence, with absent witnesses and limited cooperation, complicating the investigation and prosecution.