Edmond Safra: Who killed the billionaire banker?
On 3rd December 1999, a blazing fire tore through a Monaco penthouse belonging to billionaire banker Edmond Safra. Despite the efforts of emergency services, he was unable to escape and lost his life in the flames.
The event was later ruled as arson and whispers quickly spread across the luxurious, cobbled streets. How could something like this happen in Monaco – a place famed for its safety, with roughly one police officer for every 70 to 80 residents?
Keep reading as the Crime+Investigation team unpacks the case in more detail.
Who was Edmond Safra?
Edmond Safra was born into unimaginable wealth in Lebanon on 14th August 1932. He was the second son of a notable banking family that ran one of the oldest and most respected financial institutions in the Middle East.
By the time Edmond was 16, he was already heavily involved in the family trade, primarily in the exchange of precious metals. Everyone was impressed with the teenager's business acumen, which earned him $40 million through arbitrage deals involving gold sovereigns. He then invested this money to build his world-famous Trade Development Bank.
His earlier achievements paved the way for what was to come. As he entered adulthood, he was already one of the most influential bankers of the 20th century, with financial institutions in Geneva, New York, Luxembourg and Brazil.
His personal life was equally colourful. He married socialite Lily Watkins in 1976 and readily welcomed her three children from a previous marriage. However, this placed a huge strain on Edmond's relationship with his brothers, who had hoped he would marry someone younger and continue the Safra bloodline.
Tragedy struck again when Edmond was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the late 1990s. Increasingly frail and anxious about his personal safety, he hired a roster of doctors, nurses and private security to care for him around the clock, including former Green Beret Ted Maher.
The night of the fire
At around 4.30am on 3rd December 1999, the police received a frantic telephone call from Ted Maher, one of Edmond's nurses. He claimed that two armed intruders had broken into the penthouse, stabbed him during a confrontation and set fire to a small utility room.
When emergency services arrived, the penthouse was already engulfed in thick, black smoke. Instead of evacuating, Edmond and another nurse, Vivian Torrente, had barricaded themselves in a bathroom due to Edmond's fear of being kidnapped or assassinated. While his wife and other members of staff were safely escorted out, the pair ultimately died from smoke inhalation.
Investigators quickly noticed several red flags, and Maher's account began to unravel. There were no signs of intruders or forced entry, the fire appeared to have started using tissues soaked in flammable liquid and Maher's wounds were superficial – later determined as self-inflicted.
The fabricated story caused huge issues when launching the rescue operation, as police initially believed they were dealing with a hostage situation.
The arrest of Ted Maher
Maher was arrested two days after the fire and questioned by investigators. He eventually confessed to the crime and was charged with arson leading to death and providing false information to the police.
During the trial, prosecutors argued that Maher had intentionally set the fire to rescue Edmond and become a hero. They said that Maher thought this would earn Edmond’s trust and protect his $600 a day job. However, the blaze spiralled out of control before he could implement his plan.
The jury agreed, and Maher was found guilty. He received 10 years in prison.
Suspicion and theories
However, not everyone believes Maher committed the crime. During the trial, he withdrew his confession, claiming exhaustion and pressure. Sue Kelly, a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, agreed and wrote:
'We believe that the international human rights and civil liberties of this American citizen and his family have clearly been violated. After being bound hand and foot, catheterised, isolated, interrogated, and kept awake for three days, Ted Maher was forced to sign a confession written in French with no English translation.'
Maher continues to insist on his innocence today, which has opened the floodgates to several other theories. Some believe that Edmond was a target of a professional hit, while others suggested possible links to the Russian Mafia.
In the end, we may never truly know the truth, and Ted Maher remains the only person charged in the case.
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