Two men have been formally charged in connection with the fatal beating of an 85-year-old British expatriate found at his home in southwestern France last month. The suspects, aged 26 and 32, were arrested following an investigation launched after the discovery of the victim’s body outside his residence in Verlus, in the Gers department, where he had lived for approximately two decades.

The victim, identified as John Agner, a retired woodcarver, was found dead after sustaining multiple blows to the head and face in what authorities described as a "very violent attack." Police were alerted after Agner’s Kia vehicle was spotted being driven erratically in the town of Mont-de-Marsan, roughly 40 miles from Verlus, on September 26. A high-speed police chase ensued, after which three occupants fled on foot, and a fourth man, reportedly in his sixties, claimed to be a hitchhiker. Investigation revealed the car belonged to Agner, prompting officers to visit his home where they discovered his body.

The two men charged are among six individuals arrested over the course of the investigation, which spanned several addresses. They have been held in custody pending trial. Prosecutors have indicated that, if found guilty of robbery involving violence leading to death, the suspects could face life imprisonment. Their identities have not been disclosed.

A pivotal development in the case occurred last week with the arrest of the older suspect in Dax following allegations of an attempted murder involving a woman in her seventies in Mont-de-Marsan. This arrest triggered a broader police operation resulting in the detention of five more individuals over two days at various locations. According to a statement from Olivier Naboulet, the public prosecutor in Agen, some of the people arrested have confessed to involvement to varying extents.

Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack as they prepare for forthcoming legal proceedings.