Isabelle Arnaud is a French National, who was found dead in her home on 8 November 2021. She was a professional tennis player, a two-time Grand slam winner and a three-time French Open finalist. She was described as a “terrific” personality and held several professional tennis titles. She was married to Patrick Dupree, a French citizen, and the couple had four children.
Patrick Dupree was the sole breadwinner in the family and has been described as a stable and loving partner with no history of domestic violence or other criminal behaviour. The Arnaud affair has stunned France and caused much controversy in the country where relationships between foreigners and French citizens is common. Patrick Dupree’s lawyers have confirmed that his client had no criminal record prior to meeting Ms Arnaud and that their relationship had nothing to do with money laundering.
Isabelle Arnaud’s death has also brought about many theories, most notably that she died of alcohol poisoning. The possibility of her having been given alcohol by her Russian lover has also opened up a storm of speculation in France where accusations have been put forth that Dupree might have murdered his lover with a bullet to the back of the head. Police are not ruling out the possibility but have ruled out the possibility of a suicide because no gunpowder was found at the scene. All this points to the fact that there is more than one explanation for the death of the Frenchwoman, and it is up to the detectives to determine what really happened to this woman who left behind a will which contained much of her personal information.