A Red Line investigation broadcast on BFMTV returns to the various contradictions of Christophe Ellul about the training of Curtis, the pitbull at the origin of the death of Élisa Pilarski. A case for which we are still waiting for answers.
Curtis, killer dog? Monday, January 4, BFMTV broadcast a Red Line investigation into the Élisa Pilarski affair, to be seen currently online. Reminder of the facts: on November 16, 2019, in the forest of Retz, in Aisne, this young pregnant woman died under the bites of Curtis, the pitbull of her companion Christophe Ellul, whom she was then walking. The owner of the dog, a species banned from acquisition in France, has repeatedly denied Curtis' involvement. Yet evidence now shows the opposite.
A disastrous walk
On the day of the tragedy, Élisa therefore takes Curtis alone for a walk. "The start of the walk takes place on a path quite difficult to climb, because the slope is quite severe, especially for a young pregnant woman. It is probably from that moment, at the beginning of the walk, that Élisa meets difficulties with his dog ", explains journalist Fabrice Alves-Teixeira. Around 1:19 p.m., the victim called Christophe Ellul, in distress. The latter gets into his car to find her. He will then give the gendarmes the story of their call: "She told me there were a lot of dogs, that Curtis was pulling on the leash, that she was getting bitten in her hand and leg. I told her to let go of the dog so he could get away. defend. She screamed a lot, they were cries of pain. "
On the way, the man tries to call his partner back, but forgets to contact the emergency services. Arrived there, he looks for Élisa and the dog, then the macabre scene appears before his eyes. "When I bend down to look at where Curtis was, for me he was next to a tree trunk, lying down. So I decided to go down the precipice to look for him. The closer I got, the closer I got. noticed that it was not a tree trunk.It was my wife's belly that was uncovered because she had been undressed, completely, Christophe Ellul had testified to BFMTV a few days after the unthinkable. I got Curtis’s leash back, I went downstairs to Elisa, I let go of the leash to take care of her. She was eaten everywhere. She had more hair, her face was cut out. "
Read also: Elisa Pilarski's companion, ready to do anything to save their dog, Curtis, threatened with euthanasia
The trail of the pack fades away
Élisa died of a hemorrhage following bites from one or more dogs, according to the autopsy report. For Christophe Ellul, this drama was not caused by his dog: "I saw at least thirty pack hounds that were next to my dog", he says. On the day of the walk, a hunt with hounds took place in the forest of Retz. However, only one DNA is found on Élisa Pilarski's body: it is that of Curtis. Additionally, examining the dog's teeth may match the marks found on the corpse, not those of the horde. The animal does not help his case in the rest of the procedure either. Placed in a refuge in Beauvais, he attacks a volunteer. Result: fifteen stitches and two months off. As BFMTV reminds us, the nature, origin and trajectory of the dog become key elements in the investigation.
Curtis, a dog banned in France
The investigation reveals that "Christophe Ellul has been integrated for five years in the circuit of dog shows", but of a particular kind, that of the races prohibited on French territory. Intriguingly, Curtis' papers do not say "pit bull", but a cross between a Patterdale Terrier and a Whippet greyhound. "Obviously he lied about his dog's breed", reports veterinarian Christian Diaz, author of the expert report. Journalists, who have retraced the animal's route between Picardy, Belgium and the Netherlands, claim that Christophe Ellul bought Curtis on February 16, 2018, in a specialized breeding farm in the Netherlands where the pitbull "has right of citizenship". But according to Alexandre Novion, Christophe Ellul's lawyer interviewed in the report, the latter "is not a veterinarian. He bought the dog when he was three months old. With the papers provided to him, he was not supposed to know the origin of this dog, was not supposed to doubt it. origin appearing on the papers ".
However, a relative of the couple confides: "We knew the truth, we didn't know they were false papers, but we knew they were real pit bulls. Everyone in the immediate circle knew it." A private message sent to a social network by Christophe Ellul confirms this question of race: "Drago and Curtis, they are real pit bulls, their origins are designed to make fighting dogs, war machines in combat", he writes. For Christian Diaz, "this dog can't control himself, when he bites nothing can stop him, including order. When he stops biting it's to bite something else". The hunting pack could therefore have annoyed the dog, which would then have turned against the young woman, believes the veterinarian.
A second opinion was requested by Christophe Ellul's lawyer. "Manslaughter resulting from assault by a dog is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of 75,000 euros. Keeping a prohibited dog may constitute an aggravating circumstance.", recalls BFMTV. The case does not seem ready to end.