Suvechha Sarkar
In the early hours of December 3, 1999, tragedy struck in one of the safest places in the world—Monaco. Billionaire Edmond Jacob Safra and his nurse, Vivian Torrente, passed away when a fire broke out in the former’s penthouse. The investigation revealed that it was arson that caused their untimely demise. Netflix’s ‘Murder in Monaco’ delves deeper into the circumstances surrounding their death, which unraveled into one of the most controversial and publicly scrutinized cases. It explores conflicting theories and features interviews with Edmond’s employees, acquaintances, and the convicted arsonist who caused Edmond’s death.
Edmond Safra Worked Diligently to Build His Own Banking Legacy
Edmond Jacob Safra arrived as a ray of sunshine in the lives of his parents, Jacob and Esther Safra, on August 6, 1932. He grew up in a Jewish family of Syrian origin that lived in Beirut, Lebanon. Edmond was the fourth child out of his nine siblings, including Joseph, Elie, Arlette, Gabi, Paulette, Evelyn, Hugette, and Moise. He had always been a man of faith and had taken an interest in a financial career, largely due to his family’s involvement in the banking business. Edmond’s father, Jacob, originally hailed from Aleppo, Syria, but after the Ottoman Empire fell, Jacob moved his entire family to Lebanon sometime in the early 20th century. In Beirut, Jacob set up the family bank, J. E. Safra Bank.
According to reports, when Edmond was 15 or 16 years old, he began working at the family bank and gradually developed his skills in foreign exchange and metal trading. Eventually, he was sent to Milan, Italy, for trading purposes. At the age of 16, he achieved immense success by conducting arbitrage transactions between Britain and Italy. It helped him earn $40 million, which enabled him to build an impressive professional trajectory. In the early 1950s, he and his family moved to Brazil, where he continued to expand his empire. Ultimately, in 1956, Edmond started the Trade Development Bank in Geneva, Switzerland. Reports state that Edmond later became the co-founder of Republic National Bank, expanding his reach in the US market.
Over the years, Edmond continued his investments in several markets, helping him amass a multi-billion-dollar fortune. He was also a person who respected his roots and even assisted in creating the Israel Sephardic Education Foundation, supporting the Jewish community. Edmond eventually found love when he met Lily Watkins, a native of Brazil. They soon came close and tied the knot in a breathtaking venue in 1976, making him the fourth husband of Edmond. By December 1999, Edmond had made arrangements to sell the Republic National Bank. At that time, he was residing in his penthouse in Monte Carlo, Monaco. According to official records, during that time, he was always taken care of by his nurses since he had Parkinson’s disease.
Edmond and Vivian Torrente Died in the Bathroom After Inhaling the Smoke
One of Edmond’s nurses was Vivian Torrente, who was born in 1947. Although reports indicate that she was of Philippine origin, she attained her nursing certification from the US. Around 4:49 am on December 3, 1999, the fire alarm went off in Edmond’s apartment. At that time, Vivian was on duty, looking after him. Investigative records indicate that another of Edmond’s nurses, Ted Maher (now Jon Laurence Green), who was present at the scene, alerted the receptionist, who then contacted the authorities. He was reportedly injured and claimed that two intruders attacked him. Edmond and Vivian had taken refuge in a reinforced bathroom.
Although Lily was in the house, she narrowly escaped, and Ted was rushed to the hospital. According to reports, Edmond had contacted the head nurse, Sonia, from the bathroom for the last time at 6:30 am. At about 7:15 am, firefighters brought the flames under control and found Edmond and Vivian dead from smoke inhalation. Edmond was reportedly sitting in a chair while Vivian was found lying at his feet. During the search, officials discovered a bloodied 3-inch switchblade and a bloodied gym equipment. Additionally, they found a burnt wastebasket, which the investigators deduced was the origin of the fire. The autopsy reportedly determined the cause of death of Edmond and Vivian to be asphyxiation from inhaling toxic smoke.
Related
Investigators Cracked the Case With a Confession From the Arsonist
Initially, detectives questioned Ted, as he was present at the scene. He claimed that two masked assailants had entered the penthouse and attacked him, which led to his injury. In his statements, he told the police that he then asked Edmond and Vivian to hide in the bathroom while he asked for help. According to police records, when investigators questioned Lily, she claimed that when she had requested Edmond to open the bathroom’s bulletproof door on her mobile phone, he had allegedly refused to do so because he feared that the firefighters might be assassins. Lily claimed that she had hidden in another bathroom for a little while before escaping. Officials reportedly examined multiple possibilities, including financial motives, since Edmond’s will was changed a few weeks before his death. However, investigators ultimately found no evidence implicating Lily Safra in the fire, and she was never named a suspect.
As the investigation intensified, investigators suspected the involvement of the Russian mob. They also noted that on the day of the fire, all of Edmond’s securities were sent away to his lavish villa in Monaco. Additionally, all the CCTV footage from that particular time was also erased. While these elements raised questions during the investigation, authorities ultimately concluded that the fire was deliberately set by Ted Maher acting alone. According to reports, a breakthrough came when Sonia informed the officials that she had allegedly seen Ted messing with the wires in the nursing room a few days before the fire. Ted then reportedly confessed that he was the one who set the fire. According to an interview with Monaco’s chief prosecutor, Ted admitted that he set the fire in a wastebasket to allegedly become a hero in Edmond’s eyes and gain favor from his employer, but never intended to harm him.
As per the confession, the wounds that Ted suffered were self-inflicted, and the knife found at the scene belonged to him. Ted was ultimately arrested in December 1999, shortly after the fire, and charged with arson causing death. Before the trial, official reports state that Ted claimed his confession was coerced when he was threatened with the kidnapping of his wife, Heidi Maher. In November 2002, Ted went on trial at Monaco’s Criminal Court. Ultimately, he was convicted in December 2002 and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In January 2003, Ted reportedly escaped from the Monaco prison and made his way to Nice, France, before he was again taken into custody just 7 hours later. Shortly after, Ted received an extra 9-month sentence for escaping from prison.
