ABSTRACT
Chapter one, “Murder,” details a fight between two women that resulted in the accidental death of one of them. After explaining the basic facts of the incident, this chapter goes on to include variations in witness testimony from people who were present during the fight. While some variation in witness testimony is to be expected, there are also some surprising silences. The fight involved one of the women, Moricette Nayl, throwing a rock at the other, Marie Dufrost, and killing her. The son of the murder victim, Louis, was part of the altercation but then refused to testify. Another man who refused to take part in the judicial process was Moricette’s brother, Nicolas, even though the woman Moricette killed was his mother-in-law. This chapter provides a basic introduction to the incident and most of the key players who appear throughout the book.
