A photograph of a mysterious, well-dressed man has gone viral online following a recent Louvre jewel heist. Social media users speculated he was a French detective, though his identity remains officially unconfirmed.
Viral Photo Sparks Detective Speculation
The image, captured last Sunday, shows a man in a three-piece suit, fedora, and gold vest outside the Paris museum. One X user posted the viral French detective photo, commenting, “Actual shot (not AI!) of a French detective working the case.“
This sparked an Inspector Clouseau Hercule Poirot comparison online. Another user wrote that the man “looks like he came out of a detective film noir,” while a third added, “The detective working the Louvre Jewel heist is the guy in the fedora.
Do the French do everything better.”
Photographer Clarifies the Moment
Associated Press photographer Thibault Camus, who took the picture, said the man was not part of the official investigation. He stated the man simply walked into the frame while he was documenting the police presence.
“He appeared in front of me, I saw him, I took the photo,” said the Thibault Camus photographer. Camus added that after being photographed, the man “passed by and left.“
Details of the Louvre Jewel Heist
The investigation followed the Louvre crown jewels theft that occurred Sunday morning. Four masked criminals stole several priceless pieces from the collection shortly after the museum opened.
The thieves fled the scene on scooters and remain at large. An official investigation into the robbery is ongoing.
Authorities Keep the Mystery Alive
When asked to identify the man in the photograph, the Paris prosecutor’s office declined to provide details. An official stated, “We’d rather keep the mystery alive ;).“
