American jailed for billionaire’s Monaco death, plot to kill wife exposed in long con, expert says

Ted Maher was convicted of mounting the 1999 Monaco penthouse occurrence that killed billionaire Edmond Safra, but his transgression communicative didn’t extremity there. 

From staged heroics and shifting identities to a aboriginal murder-for-hire crippled against his wife, a transgression adept says Maher’s agelong arc offers uncommon penetration into however definite offenders escalate alternatively than reform.

According to erstwhile FBI peculiar cause Jason Pack, Maher’s behaviour reflects a recognizable signifier among offenders who manufacture crises, question power and proceed deceiving agelong aft their archetypal transgression is exposed.

Maher, an American who said helium had been a Green Beret, was a backstage caregiver hired to attraction for Safra erstwhile a occurrence broke retired wrong Safra’s heavy secured Monaco penthouse successful the aboriginal hours of Dec. 3, 1999. Safra and different nurse, Vivian Torrente, died of fume inhalation aft locking themselves wrong a bath believed to treble arsenic a harmless room. 

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U.S. caregiver Ted Maher arrives successful a constabulary car astatine the tribunal successful Monaco connected Nov. 21, 2002, to be his proceedings connected charges that helium started the 1999 arson onslaught that killed billionaire banker Edmond Safra. (Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images)

Maher survived and initially told authorities that 2 hooded intruders equipped with knives had breached into the flat — a assertion Monaco officials aboriginal said could not beryllium corroborated, according to The New York Times.

After days of conflicting accounts, Maher admitted to constabulary that helium had acceptable the occurrence himself by igniting a wastepaper basket, Monaco’s main authoritative Daniel Serdet said astatine the time, The Times reported. Maher told investigators helium did not mean to termination anyone and said helium had fabricated the intruder communicative to "draw attraction to himself," Serdet said.

Serdet told reporters Maher was jealous of Safra’s 7 different nurses and hoped to triumph his employer’s support by staging a rescue. "He wanted to beryllium a hero," Serdet said, according to The Times.

Public Prosecutor Daniel Serdet spoke to journalists connected Jan. 22, 2003, astatine the Palace of Justice successful Monaco, pursuing the flight of Ted Maher and his Italian cellmate, Luigi Ciardelli. Maher, the American caregiver sentenced to 10 years successful situation for starting the occurrence that killed Lebanese banker Edmond Safra and his nurse, was apprehended unsocial a fewer hours aft his escape. (Vanina Lucchesi/AFP via Getty Images)

Investigators said Maher slashed himself doubly with his ain weapon — erstwhile successful the thigh and erstwhile successful the tummy — earlier seeking assistance from the building’s concierge, The Times reported. Officials said Safra and Torrente could person escaped the occurrence but remained wrong the locked bath due to the fact that Safra feared attackers were inactive wrong the apartment.

Safra’s decease stunned the satellite of planetary banking and sparked wide speculation astir whether helium had been targeted due to the fact that of his concern dealings. Newspapers astir the satellite theorized that Safra, a Lebanese-born banker, whitethorn person been killed due to the fact that of his fiscal relationships, including dealings involving Russian investors, The Times reported.

Investigators yet rejected those theories. Serdet said Maher acted unsocial and that determination was "no analyzable intrigue" down the fire, according to The Times.

The occurrence came astatine a pivotal infinitesimal successful Safra's life. According to The Times, helium suffered from Parkinson’s illness and was preparing to discontinue arsenic a woody to merchantability his banking empire, including Republic National Bank of New York, neared completion.

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Portrait of Lebanese-born Brazilian banker and financier Edmond Safra arsenic helium sits down his table successful the 1990s. The coating connected the partition shows his father, Jacob Safra. (Agence France Presse/Getty Images)

His decease marked the nonaccomplishment of acold much than a banking titan. He was not lone 1 of the world’s wealthiest bankers, but a large planetary philanthropist whose instauration has funded education, aesculapian research, humanitarian assistance and spiritual institutions crossed much than 40 countries — a bequest that continues decades aft his death.

According to The Times, Safra believed helium had almighty enemies, a interest fueled by his banking vocation and practice with U.S. authorities, which contributed to the aggravated information measures wrong the Monaco penthouse.

Safra’s information concerns were rooted successful existent events, according to Vanity Fair. Dominick Dunne, who wrote extensively astir the case, said Safra had alerted U.S. authorities to Russian organized transgression enactment tied to his banking concern — a determination that near him profoundly fearful.

"He turned successful the Russian mafia to the FBI," Dunne told "48 Hours." "He became precise paranoid astir his safety."

Pack said that situation is captious to knowing however Maher’s archetypal communicative took hold. In his view, Maher tailored his intruder communicative to acceptable Safra’s fears, making the relationship initially plausible to investigators and the public.

"When a antheral spends decades trying to merchantability a ‘hero’ story," Pack said, "you yet person to halt listening to the euphony and commencement looking astatine the math."

A caller Netflix documentary, "Murder successful Monaco," has revived involvement successful the lawsuit and Maher’s claims of innocence. But Pack said the astir revealing grounds lies not successful revisiting that nighttime successful 1999, but successful the decades of behaviour that followed.

Pack said Maher’s behaviour since the Monaco lawsuit further undermines his claims of being a coerced oregon misunderstood figure. 

In 2002, Maher was convicted of arson causing decease and sentenced to 10 years successful prison. After serving astir 8 years successful prison, helium returned to the United States, changed his sanction and aboriginal became entangled successful further crimes.

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Ted Maher, a erstwhile U.S. soldier, arrives astatine the courthouse of Monaco connected Nov. 21, 2002, for the commencement of his proceedings successful the 1999 arson onslaught that killed billionaire banker Edmond Safra. (Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images)

In 2025, Maher was convicted successful New Mexico of soliciting the execution of his estranged woman successful a crippled prosecutors said progressive staging her decease arsenic a fentanyl overdose.

"You don’t spell from ‘misunderstood hero’ to ‘murder-for-hire’ by accident," Pack said. "That benignant of behaviour reveals a accordant operational mode."

Pack described what helium called a signifier of staged crises and deception. In Monaco, helium said, Maher manufactured a occurrence to technologist a heroic rescue. Decades later, prosecutors said helium plotted different staged event, this clip with lethal intent to summation financially.

Pack besides pointed to Maher’s determination to reinvent himself nether a caller sanction aft situation arsenic further grounds of deception alternatively than rehabilitation.

General presumption taken Dec. 8, 1999, of the situation of Monaco wherever the American caregiver of precocious billionaire banker Edmond Safra, Ted Maher, was detained aft helium was charged with arson causing death. Maher, who had been employed by Safra for 5 months, had told investigators helium had fabricated a communicative successful which equipped intruders stabbed him and past acceptable occurrence to the banker's penthouse. (Pascal Guyot/AFP via Getty Images)

"When idiosyncratic changes his individuality to flight his past, that behaviour defines his character," Pack said.

Maher has claimed for years that his confession successful Monaco was coerced. But Pack said Maher’s aboriginal actions severely undercut that narrative.

"It’s casual to blasted a overseas constabulary unit erstwhile you’re the lone 1 talking," Pack said. "But erstwhile you’re caught orchestrating a execution from a jailhouse compartment successful New Mexico, the unfortunate communicative is finished."

Maher is presently incarcerated successful New Mexico and has reportedly been dealing with late-stage pharynx cancer. Pack said that portion lone Maher knows precisely what happened successful Monaco, his consequent behaviour provides a clearer representation than immoderate reenactment.

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"If you privation to recognize who Ted Maher is," Pack said, "don’t look astatine a documentary. Look astatine the sentencing report."

Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send communicative tips to [email protected].