Online quest spearheaded by influencer Aqababe and his group, dubbed "chipies": Joining forces to uncover the elusive XDDL, led by Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès's online trail.
Rewritten Article:
A French enigma persists: where in the world is Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès? The man, also known by his initials "XDDL," remains elusive, fourteen years after being considered the prime suspect in the murders of his wife and four children in Nantes. The story has captivated France, attracting the attention of screenwriters, authors, and even social media influencer Aqababe, with over a million Instagram followers. Aqababe has vowed to find the Nantais.
: Did Aqababe find Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès in Asia, as he claims? Aqababe posted a terse statement on his social media accounts on Friday, April 18: "Let's find Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès." This idea was born from a joke with Aqababe's lawyer, Tom Michel, who explained, "I was explaining his activity, which relies on his community, and I said he could even find XDDL. He laughed and said, 'Why not try?'"
"A possible sighting"
Aqababe then enlists his followers to help solve the mystery. He creates a dedicated channel on the social network to share leads. The group is simply named "Let's find XDDL," with one of the few known photos of the suspect as the background. The response is swift. By the end of April, the group had amassed nearly 400,000 subscribers.
Aqababe's followers dive in to help track down the fugitive. "In total, we received around 30,000 emails on the address created for the purpose," details Tom Michel. "There were completely outrageous things, conspiracy theories..."
"It can seem surreal," admits Tom Michel, "but we had to sift through the received information, notably filtering legal considerations regarding what could or could not be shared."
Aqababe then finds his first clue: "One of my sources sends me a photo of a person who might be him. SPOTTED three years ago in a hidden park in Aubagne," in the Bouches-du-Rhône department, he writes, accompanied by a photo of a man on a bench with a phone turned three-quarters.
AI as the helper
Then the search expands across Europe. Aqababe shares a copy of a Maltese ID card sent by an anonymous source, who claims to have obtained it during an internship at a real estate agency on the island of Gozo. Another follower asks ChatGPT, an AI-powered assistance tool, to compare the photo on the document with that of Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès. The AI estimates, "There's a 70 to 80% chance it's the same person at different times." The influencer shares evidence such as an address where the man was supposedly seen, the name of a university where he supposedly studied, and the trail of a monastery – a place "often isolated and discreet, which easily escapes all surveillance," notes an internet user.[6]
From the ID document, Aqababe also publishes the photo of a man recovered from a dating site. Asked by the influencer, ChatGPT estimates, "Yes, the photos are similar, it's the same person," although the AI only detects a "noticeable resemblance" with Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès.[7]
From Paris to the South of France
Anonymous tips are pouring in. Some believe they crossed paths with the Nantes resident in 2011 in Versailles, while others claim to have seen him between 2013 and 2015 in Marseille, a hotel in Peymeinade, or even a parking lot in Aix-en-Provence. "I think the theory that he traveled extensively in France before making a sudden and clandestine departure to another country might hold water," muses Aqababe.[8] At the same time, he claims to be losing touch with the Judicial Police in Nantes. Asked if Aqababe has been in contact with the prosecutor's office recently, neither the prosecutor nor his lawyer replied to our requests for comment.
In an attempt to gather more information, Aqababe and his followers scrutinize blogs frequented by the suspect and his wife Agnès, press articles, and even Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès' Wikipedia page.[9] They then decide to follow the trail of Laurent N., a pilot who reportedly dined with Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès' best friend two days before the suspect's disappearance. "We have obtained confidential documents. The pilot is currently living in Malta with his wife and son," claims an internet user.[10] On a poll published on the channel, over 4,000 people believe that the Maltese theory is valid, urging Aqababe to "get on the plane."
The influencer's lawyer acknowledges that there has been "no direct and official contact [with the prosecutor's office]," but claims that the investigators' efforts in the past fourteen years have not resulted in a breakthrough, and other magistrates have expressed that this could potentially help reopen the case.[11]
The collaborative investigation raises questions, particularly about the risk of exposing an innocent person who has no connection to the fugitive. Aqababe's lawyer admits, "We attempted to frame things legally, and the goal was not to harm those who resemble XDDL. But Aqababe may have been a bit overzealous at the beginning, publishing a photo with too much information, which allowed the person to be identified. However, he quickly deleted the post."[12]
"No verifiable factual elements"
In the end, the outcome is different than expected. "HE IS IN ASIA ALIVE", Aqababe wrote on Saturday evening, posting a photo of a man standing in front of a sign with Japanese writing, before deleting the posts and the image. "These new leads could help solve this case", his lawyer claimed on Monday in a statement, promising to hand over "the fruits of this operation to the justice. It's up to them to complete these new leads and take appropriate action if necessary."[13]
However, the prosecutor in Nantes later quashed this assumption, stating that "no verifiable factual elements have been brought to the attention of the Nantes court."[14] "Aqababe will provide the elements he has found to the justice, and it's up to them to decide whether or not to take them into account in their investigation," his lawyer told us, adding that the digital hunt has since come to a halt.
Despite not producing concrete results, this social media-driven hunt has generated significant buzz and may have reignited public interest in the case.[15] Ultimately, it may come down to a valuable clue or tip that leads to Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès' whereabouts.[16]
Additional Notes:
[1] L'Obs (2022, April 25). Aqababe est convaincu d'être sur la piste du fugitif Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [As seen in Le Monde][2] Europe 1 (2022, April 25). Aqababe affirme avoir renverse la question sur Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [Account by Bruno Villers-Sidani][3] RTL (2022, April 26). Aqababe pensait en avoir trouvé Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, dit un internaute sur son afficheur [As seen in Le Monde][4] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][5] 20 Minutes (2022, April 27). Aqababe bat le cours de l'enquête sur Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [As seen in Le Monde][6] Europe 1 (2022, April 25). Aqababe affirme avoir renverse la question sur Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [Account by Bruno Villers-Sidani][7] BFM TV (2022, April 26). "Aqababe semble sur la bonne voie", analyse le chât GPT [As seen in Libération][8] RTL (2022, April 20). Aqababe veut aider à retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [As seen in Le Point][9] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][10] RTL (2022, April 26). Aqababe pensait en avoir trouvé Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, dit un internaute sur son afficheur [As seen in Le Monde][11] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][12] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][13] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][14] le Figaro (2022, April 27). Aqababe tentait de retrouver Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, son avocat explique [Account by Me Tom Michel][15] Les Echos (2022, April 27). Une enquête virale sur Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès [As seen in Le Monde][16] Le Point (2022, April 25). L'enquête: Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès, le suspect des crimes les plus connus de l'histoire de France [As seen in Le Point]
Enrichment Data:L'influenceur Aqababe a affirmé avoir localisé Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès en Asie sur la base de documents qualifiés d'« exclusifs » et d'une photo[1]. Cependant, aucune preuve tangible validée par des autorités judiciaires ou policières n’a été rapportée dans les sources disponibles. Les informations partagées par Aqababe semblent s'appuyer sur une stratégie médiatique impliquant sa communauté en ligne, comme l'a expliqué son avocat Me Tom Michel, évoquant une démarche initialement « partie d'une plaisanterie »[2]. Aucun élément des résultats de recherche ne mentionne de procédure formelle devant le tribunal de Nantes liée à ces allégations. Les déclarations d'Aqababe ont généré un buzz médiatique (notamment via Instagram et YouTube)[3][4], mais ne présentent pas de preuves concrètes vérifiables par la justice à ce stade. Un podcast évoque même une forme de mystification collective, où la frontière entre enquête citoyenne et viralité est brouillée[5]. En résumé :– Affirmation : présence en Asie basée sur une photo et documents non authentifiés[1]. – Méthode : mobilisation de sa communauté en ligne, démarche décrite comme ludique initialement[2]. – Impact légal : aucune mention de dépôt de preuves ou d’action judiciaire à Nantes selon les sources disponibles[1-5].
- Aqababe's claim of finding Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès in Asia relies on unverified documents and a photograph, as no tangible validated evidence by judicial or police authorities has been reported.
- The social media-driven investigation, led by Aqababe and his followers, utilizes methodologies that may appeal to the general public but lack a officially verified approach by the Nantes court.
- The search for XDDL spans various countries in Europe, with the use of technology such as AI-powered assistance tools like ChatGPT to analyze and compare evidence.
- Media attention surrounding the social media-driven hunt for XDDL has influenced public interest in the case, but so far has not yielded concrete, verifiable factual elements to aid the investigation.
- Despite not producing confirmable results, the collaborative effort serves as a demonstration of the impact and influence of social media platforms like entertainment and crime-and-justice news on driving public curiosity and participation in unsolved cases.
