The former brother-in-law of Pascal Troadec confessed this week to killing Pascal, his wife and two children over an inheritance dispute.

According to the Associated Press, the suspect, Hubert Caouissin, shared details of the killing with police — though authorities still have not recovered the bodies and it is unclear if they know where the bodies are.

In a press conference in Nantes, near the Troadec’s home in western France, a prosecutor on the case, Pierre Siennes, reportedly told reporters that Caouissin admitted to killing the family with a crowbar — after Pascal discovered him in their home in the middle of the night.

Caouissin, who was married to Lydie Troadec, Pascal’s sister, told investigators that he had entered the home with the intent of taking a key when he encountered Mr. Troadec, who he said was holding a crowbar. Caouissin said he pried the crowbar from his brother-in-law’s hands and attacked Mr. Pascal and his wife, Brigitte, first, bludgeoning them to death. He said he then killed the children, Sebastain, 21, and Charlotte, 18.

The family was believed to have been arguing over gold bars that had been found in a building owned by Lydie and Pascal Troadec’s late father. But, according to the BBC, Caouissin’s mother told reporters that the gold bars were “a myth,” and The Telegraph reports that police have not found any traces of the gold treasure.

It is unclear if the key Caouissin meant to retrieve was connected to the gold.

The suspect reportedly admitted to cutting up and burning the bodies.

Siennes described the setting of the murders “a criminal scene of great violence.”

“It seems that the bodies were dismembered, that one part was buried, the other part burnt,” Siennes said. The bodies have not yet been found, and it is unknown how badly they were burned.

The Troadec family disappeared in mid-February. Until this weekend, police had reportedly been considering Sebastian as possibly behind the disappearance, as he was believed to have had psychological problems and had previously been convicted of making death threats online. There was evidence of foul play in the Troadec’s home, with traces of blood, along with evidence of attempts to remove the blood, on some of the family’s personal items. The beds in the home and had been stripped, and no toothbrushes or hairbrushes were left behind. Pascal and Brigitte’s cars were in the driveway, but Sebastian’s was missing.

Last week, Sebastian’s car was found near the western coast of France, between Nantes and Brest, where Lydie Troadec lives. Caroline’s pants and her social security card were found in a wooded area near Lydie’s home.

The couple, who are reportedly estranged, were taken into custody on Sunday. According to the Associated Press, Lydie is also being questioned, but her role in the alleged crime is not yet known.

Photo: Associated Press (Sebastian and Charlotte Troadec)