France’s latest incident of violence perpetrated by someone with a migration background has left 57-year-old Yasmine Zekia Benhebri dead. The murder took place in Pantin, Seine-Saint-Denis.

Brahim B., a 27-year-old French-Tunisian travel agent, was formally charged on Wednesday, April 29, with the murder of his 57-year-old colleague. Benhebri was a mother who worked with him at the Al Hayat Voyages agency, which specializes in pilgrimages to Mecca, reports Le Parisien.

At a court hearing for the case, prosecutors say that Brahim B. struck and then strangled his colleague before hiding her body in a closet, wrapped in a garbage bag. The body was not discovered until more than three days later. In the meantime, the suspect reportedly actively participated in the search, helped distribute the missing person notice, and alerted local shopkeepers.

Brahim B. even allegedly took police around the agency upon their arrival and opened closets in front of them.

During the proceedings, the prosecution referred to the “extreme violence” of the act. When questioned by the judge about his participation in the search, Brahim B. replied, “I didn’t realize I had committed this act. For me, she had simply disappeared.” His own lawyer, Adrien Sorrentino, spoke of “a fully admitted murder,” while also stating, “We still lack the motive for this abominable act.”

Initially, police had opened an investigation into Yasmine Zekia Benhebri’s disappearance, but then inconsistencies were found in the suspect’s schedule and phone records placed Yasmine’s last recorded phone signal at the agency.

According to Le Parisien, Brahim B. allegedly mentioned a request for financial assistance that was refused by the victim, an explanation the prosecutor’s office urges caution in considering. “This is a closed-door investigation, and for the time being, we only have the statements of the accused,” they told the court.

The suspect has been placed in pretrial detention, as requested by the prosecutor.