'Unsolved Mysteries': All the Major Theories in the French Family Case

Netflix's Unsolved Mysteries reboot has captivated true crime fans, bringing the pulpy 90s series to a whole new audience of mystery lovers. The series follows since mysterious cases, with endless theories and tips ensuing in the salacious online discourse.

Episode 3, titled "House of Terror" follows the grizzly discovery of the bodies of the family of a former French aristocrat in Nantes.

In April 2011, French police discovered the wife and four children of Count Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès buried under the back porch of their home.

What we know about the French Family case

Netflix explains that Xavier, the family patriarch, was not among the dead and nowhere to be found. Investigators gradually pieced together clues and a timeline that pointed to Xavier as a devious, premeditated killer.

For instance, they now know that shortly before the crimes occurred, Xavier inherited a gun that was the same model as the murder weapon

The tragedy has proved captivating for viewers, with much discussion taking place on Reddit.

Theory 1: Xavier had an accomplice

The disturbing details surrounding the deaths have led investigators to believe that Xavier was a cold and calculated killer. But many viewers are still questioning how he managed to kill all five of his family members alone.

One Reddit user thinks he must have had an accomplice.

They wrote: "If Count Xavier Dupont de Ligonnès killed his family in that manner then there is no way in hell (in my opinion). he did it himself.

"A man in his 50's with supposedly a bad back moving four dead bodies worth of dead weight and two dogs outside. Placing them in trash bags and burying them the way he did is close to impossible to do alone. Ever tried moving a 50lb bag of wet leaves or grass to the trash bin?? And on top of that he did it all over the course of a night (minus one son)."

They believe he hired professional help from somebody, adding: "Someone helped him coordinate those murders and helped him get away."

Theory 2: Sightings

On Reddit, several users have been discussing alleged sightings of the deceased family members after the dates they were believed to have been killed.

One person, who claims to have found a French blog post by Xavier's family, speculates: "Up to nine people saw Agnes (the wife) alive after the date the police says she was killed. Some of these people state that they spoke to her and she was normal (some say a bit agitated). She was seen walking the dog after the 4th April and was also seen with Anne and Bertrand, the two youngest kids."

They add: "Apparently things seemed to be moved in the house after the supposed departure of Xavier. The family says police reports were inconsistent, talking about a tablecloth that would sometimes be there, sometimes not. Cleaning equipment being moved as well. They mention that on the day that the police found the bodies, there was a bucket and mop in the kitchen, and the mop was still wet. They also say that the slab of concrete on top of the bodies was still soft, which could indicate that it was laid much more recently than Xavier's departure."

Theory 3: The Bathtub

One of the gruesome yet head-scratching details discovered in the autopsy of the Dupont de Ligonnès family was that each body had an exit wound, but the bullet was still stuck inside in each body.

One Reddit user theorized: "The family blog claims the autopsy report shows the bullets created an exit wound but were still in the bodies, suggesting the bullets ricocheted off something hard."

Another person suggested that maybe the plywood found at the property was somehow involved but a more plausible explanation comes from a theory that speculates that the shootings were carried out in a bathtub.

One Redditor wrote: "Theoretically could a bathtub withstand that without a scratch? Bullet through a body into a bathtub, then he can control the flow of blood, keeping the mess contained while he bags them up."

Theory 5: Xavier's family protection

Another theory looks at the possibility of Xavier being shielded by his wealthy family, who have been hiding him and helping him evade authorities.

"One of the theories police have always had about Xavier is that his family is helping him—that he's hiding out in one of their properties and they used their own money and influence to shield him and possibly get him a new identity," they write. "But the family have never been able to explain where Agnes and the children are if they weren't the ones in the graves."

Viewers with any information about the killing of the Dupont de Ligonnès family can leave a tip at unsolved.com.

Unsolved Mysteries is streaming now on Netflix.