Original sentence: A conspiracy to frame him would have had to involve numerous individuals and the cooperation of both Ducal and Church officials.Moreover, Rais was convicted by both ecclesiastic and secular courts based upon extensive evidence - such as eyewitness accounts from his accomplices describing the murders in precise detail, and the testimony from the parents of missing children in villages near De Rais' estate.Most historians similarly regard the Duke of Brittany (the chief beneficiary) as an unlikely suspect in such a plot, as he had long been an ally and protector of Rais, and only consented to the prosecution after two investigations had uncovered damning evidence.Some authors have alleged that Gilles de Rais was framed for murder and heresy by the Roman Catholic Church as part of a plot to acquire his lands, although historians dispute this theory by pointing out that the Church did not in fact gain his lands, as these instead devolved to the Duke of Brittany, who then doled them out to nobles such as the Count of Richemont
Edited sentence: However, few historians are totally convinced De Rais was the victim of a conspirital plot when taking into account other evidence presented at the trial, such as documents showing a large number of children being reported missing by anxious parents from villages near De Rais' estate.In fact, in 1992, a French court held a tribunal to study the six-century old case and eventually exonerated De Rais of murder, based on the fact that his confession was extracted through threats of torture.There have been rumors that De Rais was framed for murder and heresy by the Roman Catholic Church, who wanted to acquire his land which would fall into their hands because De Rais had no heir