A police officer is confronted with a test for the fatal shooting of his alienated British woman together with her partner in an idyllic French village, the authorities who have confirmed there.
The body of Alison Erb, 49, was found with Loreto di Salvatore, 51, in their flat in Roptentzwiller, near the Swiss border.
Her husband Olivier Erb, 50, a serving French police officer, was immediately treated as the main suspect for the murders in 2023, but “no material proof of his involvement” was found on the spot.
He was later accused of the double murder after a wide investigation by eight dedicated officers.
Erb and his wife were separating at the time of death and he was investigated on two previous occasions on suspicion of abuse and harassment of his wife, according to reports in the French media.
He was formally charged in April last year, but now only details have emerged, because criminal investigations are officially carried out in secret in France.
His trial is expected to start later this year and he will be held on provisional detention in a maximum security prison in the vicinity of Strasbourg. He is isolated from other prisoners because of his status as a former police officer.
A source told the mail: 'Statements from the suspect were confused to start and not enough for an early indictment.
The body of Alison Erb (left) was found with Loreto di Salvatore (right), in their flat in the beautiful village of Roptentzwiller, near the Swiss border
Mrs. Erb's alienated husband Olivier Erb (photo), 50, is a serving French police officer
“There were others suspected of involvement and not a clear confession of someone.”
The lack of visual and forensic evidence meant that those who came under suspicion, including the 24-year-old son of the couple who was taken into custody twice before he was released, added the source.
Firefighters reportedly found the bodies of Mrs. Erb and Mr. Di Salvatore on 25 May 2023, after they came from a balcony in the flat when the neighbors raised the alarm after continuous barking of dogs in the building.
Both were shot three times and a small caliber -rolver was found on the spot.
CCTV installed in the flat showed that Mrs. Erb left the flat on the day she was killed, with someone dressed in black, gloves and a hood in, shortly thereafter.
Mr. Di Salvatore was shot on the first floor of the building and Mrs. Erb was the target on the stairs when she returned eight minutes later. The intruder left through a skylight window.
The source said, “The murderer was well disguised and very careful to prevent his face from being caught on the camera.”
Erb was held but then without a charge, because he had only admitted 'a kind of involvement in the life of the couple, but not their murders'.
Erb was formally charged in April last year, but now only details have emerged
Mrs Erb's sister, who did not want to be called, told the Eastern Daily Press -Krant that she had a 'gift' with horses. Shown: Mrs. Erb rides on a horse
A police source in Strasbourg said that the 'large -scale operation' focused on ERB 150 interviews and included more than 1,000 procedural documents.
The information collected includes several interviews with suspected witnesses, phone calls and 'wide area' video images trawls looking for potential suspects' movements a few kilometers around the crime scene.
Day nurse Mrs. Erb lived in Worstad, North Norfolk, before moving to France to start a new life in 1995 and to work for a large family in the Alsace region.
She married Erb and they had three children, two daughters now 26 and 15 years and their son.
When she died, Mrs. Erb managed a daycare center in Switzerland and shared a flat above the town hall with Mr Di Salvatore, who built a house for them to share.
Mrs Erb's sister, who did not want to be called, told a local newspaper in Norfolk: 'I am completely deeply saddened by the loss of my sister. I have never felt alone again.
“We are only 18 months apart in age. We were as close as possible as alone could be sisters.
'Ali and I would talk almost every day, as she did with her aunt who was like a mother for her.
Day nurse Mrs. Erb lived in Worstad, North Norfolk, before moving to a municipality near the Swiss border called Roptentzwiller (photo)
'She took care of her aunt and took care of her when she suffered from cancer.
“I still can't believe that such a friendly and beautiful soul has been stolen from the world.”
Death had “left a gaping hole in the life of so many people,” she added, and said how Mrs. Erb was a “loving and protective” mother who “would always put the needs of her children first and” “and” In times of need everyone who needed her, there was always need.
“She was always the first to offer help and support, she said.
“She had a love for all children and animals and wanted to make the world a better place.
“She had a gift with horses and was always in peace when she worked with them.”
The sister said that Mr. Di Salvatore was “desperate to marry her” and added: “He did everything to keep her safe and make her happy.
“Their relationship was true love. This is the first time she has experienced this. '
Erb, who lived and worked in Wittenheim for a police dog unit, would be banned to visit the house of his alienated woman or to contact her after he had been investigated in 2020 for verbal abuse and malignant calls two years later.
French lawyers, who acted on behalf of the family of Mrs. Erb, whose maiden name Knott was, said in a statement: 'We want to emphasize the exceptional work that is being carried out by the research magistrate in Mulhouse and the gendarmes in Strasbourg, both past and walking, by the circumstances that have led to the terrible death of Alison Knott and her partner. '
A spokesperson for the Norfolk police said: “The family of the former Norwich woman, Alison Erb, is currently supported by a specially trained family business.”
