This is the British pensioner found battered to death in his idyllic French home by a gang of suspected burglars.
John Agner, 85, was discovered in the early hours of Saturday morning after his stolen car was pursued by police down a dead-end road at high speed.
By checking the registration plate, they identified Mr Agner as the owner and when officers arrived at the isolated rural home where he lived alone, they found his body in the front garden.
Police have so far made only one arrest, that of a 60-year-old man, and say they are searching for three more possible accomplices.
Prosecutors have opened a murder investigation after the killing which has stunned residents of the tiny village of Verlus, an hour north of Pau deep in rural southwest France.
They are baffled by the curious case in which Mr Agner was beaten to death at his £250,000 home - with his killers seemingly taking nothing except his eight-year-old Kia Ceed.
John Agner, 85, a British pensioner who had spent 20 years living in the isolated rural hamlet of Verlus, an hour north of Pau deep in rural southwest France, has been beaten to death
The body of Mr Agner, a father-of-one, was discovered by police at the property in the early hours of Saturday morning after they had chased a stolen car belonging to the British expat
Detectives are looking into how the gang arrived at the isolated hamlet where the nearest neighbour is down a small hill 200 metres away.
Mr Agner had lived on his own at the property since July when his wife Susan was taken ill and moved to a hospital.
One neighbour has told the Daily Mail that, despite living in a modest property, Mr Agner would indiscreetly boast that he enjoyed considerable wealth.
She wondered whether his loose-lipped approach to his finances may have reached the wrong ears at the community centre in Riscle, some 20 minutes’ drive away where he was having lessons to improve his French.
‘Maybe they knew he had money, was vulnerable and lived alone in that isolated farmhouse,’ she said. 'He said they were wealthy, I know he had a few bank accounts as they told me. Maybe someone overheard that. The house itself wasn't full of valuables; a computer, a television, that's about it. Maybe they thought he kept his money at home? But even that doesn't make sense as nothing was taken.'
She went on: 'This has left me really shocked. I'm on my own now as my husband recently died, but I knew John and Susan very well.
'They were a lovely couple, we got on straight away when we met and we would go out together to go to each other's houses. John played the guitar - he enjoyed music, they were both very kind people and John would help out ex-pats in the community by fixing things.
'They had lived in Canada and elsewhere in France and I know they had a daughter, but they hadn't spoken to her in years. They said it was over a relationship she had and they didn't approve of it and they just stopped contact.
'I kept telling them it was such a shame and they should try and build bridges, especially as they were getting on and they had the house and, John also told me they had a lot of money, I said: 'Surely, you want to leave your daughter something'.
'But they were adamant they would not be speaking to her, she never visited and they never went to England, I don't think they left the village really other than to go maybe a few miles in either direction to go shopping or come and visit us.
'It was the rift that really upset me, you could tell it had caused problems, I kept asking ' How can you not talk to your daughter?' but they were adamant there would be no reconciliation.
'John also did archery and he was trying to improve his French, the last time I saw him in Lidl a few weeks ago he said, 'You are the only English person I'm going to talk to now, everyone else is French'.
'I know Susan had been ill and was in hospital and he went to visit her every day. I just don't understand why these thieves would drive all the way out here - because you have to drive - and then steal John's car, it just doesn't make sense.
Police have arrested one suspect, a 60-year-old man, on suspicion of the murder that has sent shockwaves through the small community where Mr Agner lived in south west France
The Agners' home includes an annexe used as a garage and workshop and a two storey two-bedroom house with a small garden.
Another intriguing possible factor was that John was in the habit of taking in paying guests who were in need of a room for a night.
Another neighbour said: 'I did think it was strange he did that, you just don’t know who these people were. They would stay for a night and then move on.
‘John said they were usually cyclists or hikers looking for a bed for the night but to be honest I wouldn’t have done it.’
It’s not clear what Mr Agner did in the UK before he moved to France, but he appears to have spent an extensive amount of time abroad with Susan.
Their last known address was in Northumberland where they lived until 2005 and before that they were in Southampton, while in the mid 1980s they were on Stronsay, in the Orkneys where Mr Agner carved a beautiful wooden map of the island which still hangs in a local club.
After that they are thought to have moved to Vancouver in Canada before returning to the UK in the late 1990s and there appears to be no trace of him on French or British company records so what he did for a living before he moved is a mystery.
Prosecutors and police believe the attack happened late on Friday and the murder was only discovered after the stolen car was chased by police at high speed through the town of Mont-de-Marsan, 25 miles away.
Officials said the Kia was pursued for 20 minutes while travelling at 74mph at around 2am last Saturday and it eventually turned down a one way street where four men jumped out and fled on foot and the arrested man is known to police.
Mr Agner, who enjoyed going on bike rides, was described as 'athletic, fit and sporty' for his age and 'younger looking than he was', with some saying they were not surprised he had put up a fight with his attackers.
Another expat said: 'I would see him on his bike around the village, and we would say hello to each other, for an 85-year-old he was in good shape, he liked walking as well. I'm not surprised he put up a fight, but against four wasn't perhaps a good idea.'
Mr Agner is said to have suffered wounds to his head and a French investigative source said: 'They were very violent blows, it was a severe beating.'
Neighbours of Mr Agner, a retired wood carver and artist, told of their shock as they said he was a popular member of the community who helped other expats locally by fixing things
Mayor Menvielle told the Mail: 'Everyone is in shock. Our hamlet has only around 100 people living here and nothing like this has ever happened. It really is deepest rural France, and no one can understand why these people came to John's house.
'I saw him two days before he was discovered. It was the Thursday. He asked me to help him book a service for his car as his French wasn't good enough. It was for mid-October in Mont-de-Marsan where his car was stopped by the police.
'Even though they had lived here for 20 years, I didn't know much about them, they would say hello and come to the town hall for the New Year party and meetings but as they didn't speak much French they didn't mix much, although I know they had a few British friends nearby.
'I know that he did some wood carving and painting as well but his life the last few months just revolved around visiting his wife in hospital, before she was admitted a nurse used to visit a few times a week, but he was a very polite and civil gentleman.
'Maybe he was followed from the hospital? It is such an isolated place that you would have to be lost to get here or you would have to know the area, none of the people who live near him heard anything until the police arrived Saturday morning, it's very strange.'