Cold Case Review of Sophie Tuscan du Plantier murder to proceed (Threadbans in OP)

Apparently, Sophie never traveled anywhere without her diary.

As a member of the arty farty brigade, she was prone to writing down any all bollix when the moment took her..

Her diary was missing, it was not in the house, her car or handbag.

Just another piece of the puzzling jigsaw.

If 'regular' people can be involved in land disputes, so can pretty ones.

And if something was going to flare up then it would have to be when she is there to dispute things \ be disputed with. Holiday home owners can be involved in disputes too.

That's not to say it was a dispute along those lines, just I don't think those are red flags against the theory.

We're already into 'less likely' territory even if it does turn out to be Bailey.

There's no evidence of sexual assault if it was someone being rebuffed.

If it was the case that Bailey had some romantic involvement with Sophie, well, a married man has more reason to murder a mistress to protect a marriage if she threatens to tell all etc Bailey wasn't married.

There's no evidence of a stalker type obsession from Bailey towards Sophie.

So if a theory is consistent with the evidence, and its own internal logic, being less likely isn't a valid reason imo to exclude it.

Good point about the 'mental turmoil' aspect.

I'm not sure about the Alfie angle, although he could use the 'shock' of finding the body to explain that.

Does it have to be a professional hitman? What about someone used to criminal violence?

What about a scenario where criminals go to the property - either to threaten Sophie to keep quiet about something OR looking for these mysterious two French men reported by the Mirror to be on the run in the area and who were known to Sophie. And things got out of hand.

What hitman bludgeons their target to death with a concrete block at the scene in a loud and messy fashion outside in the open with houses not very far away? This is away with the fairies type stuff.

Well one story was that 2 men were looking for someone and may have come to the wrong house?

Discern? No, plenty of theories maybe one of them is correct.

Has it ever been fully established that others were using the cottage for liaisons and the bath? Where did that come from?

Lot of interesting theories on here. Personally I think that the attack happened early morning (its been said that there was breakfast contents in her stomach). I think that she likely saw someone messing with the gate and decided to put on her boots and confront them. She likely went down to the gate via the field as it's a quicker route (wasn't their wine or something thrown in the field? - might have been Sophies 'weapon' as she rushed out the door). Dispute occurs regarding the gate at the gate. Attacker is enroute back to the house when they spot the block on the pump house to finish the job. They then return back to Sophies house presumably to see if anyone was there etc. They leave blood marks on door etc. Nobody in the house gives them ample opportunity to take the diary and anything else incriminating. I think that they then return home to their house to clean up. Wife of the attacker then "finds" Sophies body in the morning and alerts the gardai. Attacker is Alfie Lyons. Just my opinion!

*also, Alfie Lyons claims that he introduced Bailey to Sophie - further diverting the spotlight from himself

The bath aspect came from this

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/locks-were-changed-after-intruder-at-du-plantier-house-said-housekeeper-30242061.html