Just when it seemed the dramatic story of Kim Kardashian’s terrifying Paris robbery was finally heading to court, another shocking twist has emerged. One of the main suspects in the $10 million jewelry heist, 72-year-old Marceau Baum-Gertner, has died suddenly before the trial could begin. The case that gripped the world back in 2016 is only now making its way to court in 2025 – almost nine years after that frightening night in Paris. What really happened during that robbery, and why has it taken so long for justice to be served?
The night that changed everything for Kim
Back in October 2016, Kim Kardashian was enjoying Paris Fashion Week when her world turned upside down. Five men disguised as police officers broke into her hotel room in the middle of the night. They tied her up with plastic cables and tape, then threatened her at gunpoint. Kim was alone and terrified – she later revealed she thought she would be killed or sexually assaulted. The robbers weren’t after her life, though, but her jewelry – including a massive diamond ring worth millions that her then-husband Kanye West had given her.
The thieves made off with an estimated $10 million worth of jewelry that night. Kim was physically unharmed but mentally shattered. In interviews since then, she’s talked about how the experience completely changed her. She became less focused on showing off expensive things on social media and more careful about her security. Her therapist even noted that Kim had become “so desensitized from trauma” that she remained eerily calm during the robbery – something that might have actually saved her life. That night in Paris forced Kim to rethink everything about how she lived her public life.
The grandpa gang behind the heist
When French police finally made arrests in 2017, people were shocked to learn about the suspects. They weren’t young, tech-savvy criminals but a group of older men in their 60s and 70s – quickly nicknamed the “Grandpa Gang” by the media. These weren’t rookies, though. Many were repeat offenders with long criminal records. The alleged mastermind, Aomar Ait Khedache, was a well-known figure in the Parisian underworld. Another suspect, Yunice Abbas, later admitted to his role as a lookout during the robbery and even tried to write a tell-all book about the heist (a French court blocked him from profiting from it).
The gang had reportedly been planning the robbery for two years, carefully studying Kim’s social media to track her jewelry collection and movements. Abbas later claimed in interviews that he didn’t even know who Kim Kardashian was – only that she was “a famous person, a rapper’s wife” with expensive jewelry. When asked if he felt guilty, Abbas coldly stated that since Kim was “throwing money away,” he was simply there to “collect it.” The FBI helped French police track down the suspects, with Abbas getting caught because he left DNA evidence at the scene despite wearing gloves. Ten people in total were eventually charged with the crime.
Why did the suspect die before trial?
The recent death of 72-year-old Marceau Baum-Gertner has added another strange chapter to this long-running case. Reports simply state that he “died suddenly” just as the trial was about to begin, without providing specific details about the cause of death. His passing highlights another unusual aspect of this case – the advanced age of many suspects. When the robbery took place in 2016, five of the ten suspects were already between 60 and 72 years old. Now, nearly a decade later, health issues are becoming a factor in the legal proceedings.
Baum-Gertner isn’t the only suspect whose health has affected the trial. Another accused robber, Pierre Bouianere, has been deemed too ill to stand trial with the others and will be tried separately. With many of the “Grandpa Gang” now in their 70s and 80s, it raises questions about whether all of them will live to see the conclusion of this case. The French legal system is known for its thoroughness but also for its slow pace, especially in complex cases with multiple defendants. For Kim and everyone involved, justice has been a painfully slow process.
The long road to justice
Many people wonder why it’s taken nearly nine years for this case to come to trial. The delay can be attributed to several factors. First, there was the initial investigation and manhunt, which took months. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down courts across France and created massive backlogs. The French justice system was also dealing with other high-profile cases, including the largest criminal trial in the country’s history – the 2015 terror attacks. All these factors pushed Kim’s case further back in the queue.
For Kim, the long wait has been both difficult and necessary. The trauma of the robbery left deep emotional scars. She avoided returning to Paris for over a year and completely changed her approach to social media and personal security. She’s talked about becoming “a completely different person” after the robbery – less materialistic and more focused on what really matters. The trial, which finally began on April 28, 2025, represents a chance for Kim to face her attackers and perhaps find some closure after nearly a decade of waiting.
What to expect when Kim testifies
Kim Kardashian is scheduled to take the stand on May 13, 2025, to testify about her experience. This will be a dramatic moment – the global superstar facing the men who terrorized her that night in Paris. Kim reportedly feels empowered to fight back and share her story in court. It will mark the first time she’s been in the same room with her alleged attackers since that terrifying night. The courthouse is expected to be packed with media and fans, turning a criminal trial into something of a spectacle – exactly the kind of attention Kim has tried to avoid since the robbery.
Kim has spoken publicly about the incident only a few times, usually on her family’s reality shows or in carefully controlled interviews. The trial will be different – she’ll be under oath, questioned by lawyers, and face-to-face with the defendants. Her testimony will likely focus on the emotional impact of the crime as much as the material losses. She’s mentioned feeling like “a full robot” with “no emotion” after the trauma. The court appearance gives Kim a chance to reclaim her voice and narrative around an event that changed her life forever.
The missing millions in jewelry
One of the biggest mysteries in this case remains: what happened to all that jewelry? Despite the arrests, almost none of the stolen items have been recovered. The jewelry was estimated to be worth between $6-10 million, including Kim’s enormous diamond ring from Kanye West. According to reports, only one piece – a diamond-encrusted cross – has ever been found. The rest seemingly vanished into thin air. Investigators believe most pieces were quickly broken down, with the diamonds and precious metals sold separately on the black market, making them impossible to trace.
The main suspect, Aomar Ait Khedache, reportedly told police that it would be impossible to sell such recognizable pieces intact, especially the famous ring. This kind of high-profile jewelry theft usually ends with the stones being removed from their settings and sold individually, often ending up as completely different pieces. It’s likely that Kim’s diamonds are now scattered across the world, reset into new jewelry pieces being worn by people who have no idea of their notorious origins. For Kim, the sentimental value of these items – particularly her wedding ring – is a loss that can never be recovered.
How the robbery changed Kim forever
Before the Paris robbery, Kim Kardashian was known for flaunting her wealth on social media – posting photos of expensive jewelry, luxury cars, and designer clothes. That all changed after her terrifying experience. Kim took a complete break from social media after the robbery and when she returned, her approach was noticeably different. She became more private, more careful about what she shared, and less focused on showing off material possessions. She no longer posts in real-time, instead waiting until she’s left a location before sharing photos online.
The experience also changed Kim’s values and priorities. She’s talked about becoming less materialistic, realizing that “things” aren’t what matter most in life. In interviews, she’s described the robbery as “horrific” but also acknowledged that it made her “a completely different person in the best way.” The trial represents a chance for Kim to close this chapter of her life nearly a decade after it began. Despite losing a fortune in jewelry that night, Kim has said she gained something more valuable – perspective on what truly matters. The death of one suspect before trial is just another twist in this long, strange journey toward justice and healing.
What happens next in the trial
With one suspect dead and another too ill to stand trial with the others, there are now 10 defendants facing charges in the Paris courtroom. The trial began on April 28, 2025, and is scheduled to run through May 23, when a verdict is expected. The charges are serious – armed robbery, kidnapping, and unauthorized possession of weapons. If convicted, the suspects could face lengthy prison sentences, though given their advanced ages, any long sentence would likely mean spending their final years behind bars. The trial will be conducted with a jury, and given the high-profile nature of the case, extensive security measures are in place.
For Kim and her family, the trial represents both an ordeal and an opportunity. It means reliving a traumatic experience, but also potentially finding closure. French trials are different from American ones – more inquisitorial, with judges taking an active role in questioning witnesses. This means Kim may face direct questions from the bench as well as from lawyers. The world will be watching when she takes the stand on May 13. Whatever the outcome, the trial marks the beginning of the end of a nearly decade-long saga that changed Kim Kardashian’s life forever.
As the Kim Kardashian robbery trial moves forward without Marceau Baum-Gertner, it serves as a reminder that justice sometimes moves slowly – too slowly for some. For Kim, the ordeal that began on that night in Paris continues, but with each passing day, it inches closer to resolution. The trial may not recover her stolen jewelry, but it might finally give her something even more valuable – the chance to put this chapter behind her and move forward without the weight of unresolved trauma. Nine years is a long time to wait for justice, but for Kim and everyone involved, that wait is finally nearing its end.
