Letter to The Honorable Franqois Rivasseau, Charge d'Affaires

Letter

Letter to The Honorable Franqois Rivasseau, Charge d'Affaires

Durbin, Obama Urge French Government to Extradite Hans Peterson

U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Barack Obama (D-IL) today sent a letter to Chargé d'Affaires François Rivasseau at the French Embassy in Washington, D.C., urging the Government of France to agree to the United States' request for the extradition of Hans Peterson to face criminal prosecution for the murder of Dr. David Cornbleet.

David Cornbleet was brutally stabbed to death on October 24, 2006 in his Chicago office. Hans Peterson was a former patient of Dr. Cornbleet's, who he allegedly blamed for adverse effects from prescription acne medicine. Peterson, who was born in the U.S. to a French national mother, traveled to St. Martin, a French territory in the Caribbean in December 2006. In May 2007, Peterson obtained recognition of French citizenship and a French passport. In June 2007, a warrant was issued in the U.S. for Peterson's arrest for the Cornbleet murder. On August 6, 2007, Peterson turned himself in to French authorities in St. Martin.

In today's letter, Durbin and Obama wrote: "It appears that Mr. Peterson has sought to claim French citizenship - subsequent to the alleged commission of a heinous crime - in an attempt to avoid criminal prosecution in the United States. Dr. Cornbleet's family, the people of Illinois, and the United States criminal justice system have a strong and compelling interest in seeing Mr. Peterson face trial in the United States. We strongly urge the Government of France to agree to the extradition request for Mr. Peterson."

Text of letter appears below:

August 20, 2007

The Honorable Franqois Rivasseau, Charge d'Affaires
Embassy of France in the United States
4 10 1 Reservoir Road, NW
Washington, DC 20007

Dear Charge d'Affaires Rivasseau:

We write in regard to the criminal investigation into the murder of Dr. David Cornbleet.

Dr. Cornbleet, a physician in Chicago, Illinois, was brutally stabbed to death on October 24, 2006. It is our understanding that Mr. Hans Peterson has confessed to the murder of Dr. Cornbleet, and is currently in the custody of French authorities in St. Martin. The United States Department of Justice Office of International Affairs has issued a formal request to the Government of France for the extradition of Hans Peterson to face criminal prosecution for Dr. Cornbleet's murder. We strongly support this extradition request.

After Dr. Cornbleet's death, Mr. Peterson, an American citizen, traveled to St. Martin in the French West Indies. In May 2007, Mr. Peterson sought and obtained a French passport after Mr. Peterson's American former roommates contacted the Chicago Police Department to report their suspicions that Peterson was involved in Dr. Cornbleet's murder. In June 2007, a warrant was issued by the State's Attorney's Office in Cook County, Illinois, for Mr. Peterson's arrest. In August 2007, Mr. Peterson turned himself in to French authorities in St. Martin and allegedly confessed to murdering Dr. Cornbleet.

It appears that Mr. Peterson has sought to claim French citizenship - subsequent to the alleged commission of a heinous crime - in an attempt to avoid criminal prosecution in the United States. Dr. Cornbleet's family, the people of Illinois, and the United States criminal justice system have a strong and compelling interest in seeing Mr. Peterson face trial in the United States. We strongly urge the Government of France to agree to the extradition request for Mr. Peterson.

If you have questions regarding this letter, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Durbin
United States Senator

Barack Obama
United States Senator

Source