Netflix just dropped a new true crime documentary, and the timing couldn’t be better. With the holidays just around the corner, we’re already queuing up all the best film and TV series to binge while lying on the sofa and eating countless amounts of Quality Street.
Whether you’re saving the true crime documentary to watch from the sofa over the holidays, or if you watched it the moment it landed on the streaming platform, you might be wondering about the true story that the show is based on. And, set against the backdrop of glamorous Monaco with a billionaire’s murder at the centre of it, what a story it is!
Here’s everything we know about the death of billionaire businessman Edmond Safra, and the man who was convicted of his murder…
Everyone’s clicking on…
The true story of Netflix’s Murder in Monaco
Murder in Monaco tells the true story of one of the world’s richest men, Edmond Safra, who died in his penthouse apartment in Monaco on 3 December 1999.
Netflix
Although born into a wealthy banking family, Safra went on to multiply his riches by founding major banks such as the Republic National Bank of New York. He also set up a philanthropic foundation, through which he supported hundreds of projects across the globe. During his later years, however, Safra was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. By age 67, he required constant care and had a number of nurses working for him.
On the night of 3 December 1999, Safra and one of his nurses, Vivian Torrente, locked themselves in a fortified bathroom under the belief that armed intruders had made their way into the property. In reality, a fire was raging through the penthouse, and even when firefighters arrived at the scene, the pair refused to open the door in fear that it was actually the intruders trying to get in. As a result, Safra and Torrente both died from smoke inhalation.
But, things were not quite as they seemed, and as we learn in Murder in Monaco, investigators soon discovered that someone was to blame for Safra and Torrente’s deaths.
Who is Ted Maher?
As well as Torrente, Safra had another nurse caring for him: Ted Maher. Maher, a former Green Beret, was a US Army veteran hired by Safra in August 1999 to be a bodyguard slash nurse at his Monaco home.
On the night of 3 December 1999, Maher was called in to work a last-minute overnight shift for Safra alongside Torrente. But, rather than caring for Safra, he ultimately killed him.
Netflix
Maher set up an elaborate plot which he thought would gain him praise and respect from his wealthy employer. He told Safra and Torrente that armed intruders had broken into the home, and urged them to seek safety in the fortified bathroom. Maher then started a fire in a wastepaper basket and stabbed himself to create the illusion of the home invasion – all part of his plan to “rescue” Safra and be named a hero.
But Maher miscalculated how everything would go down, not realising how quickly the fire would spread or how much blood he’d lose from stabbing himself. By the time Maher made it to the lobby to seek help, it was too late for Safra and Torrente’s lives to be saved.
Days after Safra and Torrente’s deaths, Maher admitted to starting the fire. Per the New York Times, Monaco’s chief prosecutor said Maher had devised the plan to “draw attention to himself” because he was “jealous” of Safra’s other nurses. He testified to having started the blaze, expecting it to set off a fire alarm that would bring help and give him time to ‘save’ his employer.
Speaking about his plot, Michael Griffith, on Maher’s legal defence team, described it as “stupid” and “insane”. Per CBS News, Griffith said: “He did not intend to kill Mr Safra. He just wanted Mr Safra to appreciate him more. He loved Mr Safra. This was the best job of his life.”
Where is Ted Maher now?
Maher spent over two years imprisoned in Monaco before his trial began, but in December 2002, he was convicted in the arson deaths of Safra and Torrente and sentenced to 10 years.
Less than two months later, however, Maher escaped captivity by sawing through the bars on his cell and using a rope made of garbage bags to climb out of prison. His freedom didn’t last long; within hours, he was captured by police at a hotel in Nice.
PASCAL GUYOT//Getty Images
After serving his prison sentence for the deaths of Safra and Torrente, Maher did not go on to live a quiet life. In 2022, he was arrested in Texas for burglary, forgery, and fraud after he allegedly kidnapped three dogs that were owned by his ex-wife, per NBC News.
Just one year later, Maher was caught up in a murder-for-hire plot. According to police, Maher conspired with and paid a prison inmate to kill his wife via a fentanyl overdose, with the end goal to steal money they believed she had hidden in her home. In March 2025, Maher was found guilty of murder-for-hire and, in July of the same year, was sentenced to nine years in prison.
It’s unclear which prison Maher is serving his time in, but it is located in the US. That said, the New York Post reports that Maher currently has late-stage throat cancer and is receiving medical treatment at a Central New Mexico Correctional Facility outside Albuquerque.
Stream Murder in Monaco on Netflix now.
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Jade Biggs (she/her) is one of Cosmopolitan UK’s freelance writers, working across all sections including entertainment, beauty, body, and sex and relationships. She previously held the position of Features Writer, covering everything from breaking news and the latest royal gossip, to the health and fitness trends taking over your TikTok feed. Jade has a degree in journalism and has been a journalist and content editor for ten years, interviewing leading researchers, high-profile influencers, and industry experts in that time. She is a cat mom to four fur babies and is obsessed with Drag Race, bottomless brunches, and wearing clothes only suitable for Bratz dolls. Follow her on Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
