Murder in Monaco on Netflix: The Story Behind the Murder of Edmond Safra
Documentary series about the mysterious fire in Monaco that cost billionaire Edmond Safra his life
What is the series about?
Murder in Monaco on Netflix is a documentary portrayal of one of the most sensational criminal cases in the principality's history. On December 3, 1999, 67-year-old Lebanese-Brazilian banking billionaire Edmond Safra lost his life in a violent fire in his highly secured penthouse apartment in Monte Carlo. The documentary, directed by Hodges Usry, takes the viewer behind the closed doors of the Belle Époque building where Safra and his nurse, Vivian Torrente, barricaded themselves in a fortified bathroom, believing they were under attack from armed intruders. The series explores the psychological aspects of the perpetrator and the security failures that led to the tragic outcome.
The real case
The real case of Edmond Safra is marked by both tragedy and bizarre circumstances. Edmond Safra suffered from Parkinson's disease and required round-the-clock monitoring, which meant he was surrounded by a team of nurses and security personnel. Former Green Beret soldier Ted Maher, who worked as a nurse for Safra, later admitted to starting the fire in a wastebasket. His motive was allegedly to stage a heroic rescue to win his employer's favor and receive a reward. However, the plan went awry as the fire spread uncontrollably through the apartment. Although the fire department arrived quickly, Safra refused to open the fortified room, fearing that assassins were waiting outside. Both he and Torrente died of smoke inhalation.
Timeline of the case
The investigation into the fire quickly led to the arrest of Ted Maher, whose explanations were contradictory. In 2002, he was found guilty of arson resulting in death by a court in Monaco and sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, the case did not stop there; in January 2003, Maher managed to escape from prison in Monaco, triggering an international manhunt before he was captured in France just a few hours later. The case has been the subject of countless conspiracy theories over the decades, including rumors of involvement from the Russian mafia, as Safra had just sold his banking empire to HSBC for $10.3 billion. In 2025, Maher made headlines again when he was convicted of plotting to murder his own wife.
Watch the series
The documentary can be streamed on Netflix and provides a unique insight into a world of extreme wealth and the paranoia that can accompany it. Through interviews and archival material, the series attempts to separate fact from the many myths that still surround Safra's death in Monaco.