Netflix’s ‘Murder in Monaco‘ tells a true story that looks back at a real-life tragedy that took place inside a Monaco penthouse, where a small fire and a series of wrong assumptions changed everything in a matter of hours.
The documentary focuses on what truly happened that night to Edmond Safra and revisits the facts, witness accounts, and later revelations. Later, it becomes clear that the truth behind this case is very different from what the world first believed.
‘Murder In Monaco’ Reveals Edmond Safra’s Final Hours
On December 3, 1999, billionaire banker Edmond Safra was inside his heavily secured Monte Carlo home when a fire broke out. Safra, who lived with Parkinson’s disease, relied on full-time nursing care and strict security routines. That night, one of his nurses, Ted Maher, claimed that armed intruders had entered the apartment and attacked him.
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Believing this, Safra and another nurse, Vivian Torrente, moved into a reinforced bathroom designed to work as a panic room. Firefighters arrived quickly, but Safra refused to open the door. He believed the threat was still real, which kept emergency workers from reaching him despite repeated attempts.
One of the most surprising parts of Murder in Monaco is how small the fire actually was. It started in a wastebasket and never grew into a major blaze. In most situations, it would not have been fatal. Instead, fear and confusion made the situation far worse.
The Mystery, The Lies, The Tragedy
The sealed panic room filled with smoke while firefighters waited outside. Safra trusted the room to protect him, but it also blocked any quick rescue. By the time help reached the room, both Safra and Torrente had died from smoke inhalation. The documentary makes it clear that the tragedy was not caused by the fire itself, but by the delay and the belief that danger was still present.
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The real story behind ‘Murder in Monaco‘ comes out when the documentary addresses Ted Maher’s confession. Maher later admitted that there were no intruders and that he had started the fire himself. He said he wanted to stage a rescue so he would appear brave and protect his job.
That lie changed the entire response to the incident. Authorities treated the scene as a serious crime threat instead of a simple emergency. In 2002, a Monaco court convicted Maher of arson causing death and sentenced him to ten years in prison, serving eight. Even after that, doubts continued. Safra’s wealth, the sale of his banking empire to HSBC, and rumours about his influence led to many theories.
The documentary explores these ideas but finds no solid proof. In the end, ‘Murder in Monaco‘ shows how the truth behind this case is far more disturbing than any theory.
