Two neighbors saw the 8th of July last year Emile come walking down a street in Haut-Vernet in the French Alps. The boy, 2.5 years old, walked alone wearing a yellow t-shirt and white shorts.
Since that day, no one has seen him, and a large search was launched in and around the village of only 25 inhabitants. But the massive search effort involving police, military, dog handlers and helicopters remained fruitless.
Up until now.
Finds of hikers
On Maundy Thursday, the police cordoned off parts of the village, established a no-fly zone over the area and indicated that they would recreate events from that fateful day. 17 people, among them several of the boy’s relatives, had been called to the place where the work has been going on since then,
Media from all over the country went to the village, and on Easter Eve came the news France was waiting for: Remains that may be Émiles have been found by a hiker.
The next day, the find was confirmed.
— DNA tests show that the remains belong to the boy Émile, says the prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon according to Le Figaro.
According to both police and prosecutors, the area in question where the remains were found has been searched several times before and, according to Blachon, will now be thoroughly reviewed once more.
Great investigation
He says that the findings will now be analyzed to possibly provide an answer to how Émile died. The police already started a criminal investigation this summer, and a long line of people have been questioned about the disappearance, while the police emphasize that it may be an accident.
The village is located in mountainous terrain with several streams and the boy had only been in Haut-Vernet for a day when he disappeared. He then lived with his grandparents, where he would spend the summer.
– I am relieved, but at the same time very sad, I hoped he would be found alive, says Francois Baliquemayor of the municipality of Vernet, to BFMTV.