A key suspect in Kim Kardashian's Paris robbery ordeal has died

The suspect, who was nicknamed Nez Rape, passed away on 6 March but legal authorities had still named him in an operational note on 14 March as the fourth key defendant due to appear for trial at the Paris Assizes next week.

A source told MailOnline: "Mr Baum-Gertner had been released on bail following his arrest over the Kim Kardashian robbery eight years ago, and was living in Paris, while regularly reporting to police.

"His name was on the defendants' list for the trial, and he was very enthusiastic about clearing his name in court.

"This was until he died suddenly in the 10th arrondissement of Paris on March 6.

"He was suspected of liaising with mafia gangs from across the world over the Kardashian jewellery, and criminals are known to have issued threats against him following widespread publicity connected to the case.'

The defendant had refused to name any associates during multiple interrogations ahead of the trial.

Baum-Gertner was first arrested in January 2017 following regular meetings with Aomar 'Old Omar' Aït Khedache, 68, who has already confessed to being the ringleader of the gang after his DNA was found at the scene of the crime.

The pair were caught on surveillance cameras at service stations in Paris, prompting cops from the Banditry Repression Brigade (BRB) of the Paris Judicial Police to bug Baum-Gertner's phones and put a GPS tracking device on his car.

He regularly drove from Paris to Antwerp with Old Omar and Christiane 'Cathy' Glotin, 78, the only female suspect who will face trial next week.

The trio were filmed meeting up with known "faces" from the criminal underworld in a joint operation between Belgian and French detectives.

Kim is expected to fly to Paris from Los Angeles for next week's trial.