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PARIS – A French farmer is on trial for killing a suspected truffle thief with two blasts from a pump-action shotgun.
Laurent Rambaud, 37, told police he was guarding his truffle patch around nightfall Dec. 20, 2010 when he was surprised by a man and a dog. Saying he feared for his life, he opened fire.
The victim, Ernest Pardo, 42, was a hospital employee from a nearby town who police say was known to sell truffles at local markets. Pardo was found with a small pick in his hand.
Rambaud told police he didn’t mean to kill Pardo.
The killing took place in Grignan, a small town in the Rhone valley near one of France’s largest truffle markets. The prized delicacy sells for up to $1,000 per kilogram (2.2 pounds).