this neighbor of Le Vernet consumed by guilt, “If it really is an accident…”

Nine months after his disappearance, little Emile was found dead. His skull, as well as teeth, were discovered by a hiker on March 30, not far from the hamlet of Haut-Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). Since then, other searches have found clothes belonging to the little boy, who disappeared on July 8, 2023: a T-shirt, shoes and pants.

Major clues for the investigators who nevertheless seem to regret the action of the woman who discovered the bones. In fact, the hiker decided to take the human remains in a plastic bag in order to hand them over to the police. An act which, if not malicious, could have alter the “crime scene”. Especially since the investigators have few clues at their disposal to shed light on the disappearance of little Emile.

Disappearance of Emile, 2 and a half years old: these elements that are missing from the investigation to discover the truth about his death

The discovery of the skull of Emile, 2 and a half years old at the time of his disappearance, the teeth and his clothes, does not yet make it possible to identify the cause of death. “His bones alone do not allow us to say what is the cause of Emile Soleil’s death”, explained Jean-Luc Blachon, the public prosecutor of Aix-en-Provence, during the press conference on April 1. For now, the analysis of his skull has made it possible to identify of the “bite marks”“probably animal”.

“The investigation will continue with the same intensity. The excavations are not finished. They will continue (…) Between the fall of the child, the manslaughter and the murder, we still cannot favor a hypothesis. I know it’s not satisfying”, he concluded. However, one thing is certain, the place where little Emile was found is “a very vegetated area”, but which can nevertheless be reached in a 25-minute walk from the bottom of the hamlet of Haut-Vernet. So why didn’t anyone see anything for 9 months?

Emile found dead: this guilt which gnaws at the minds of the inhabitants of Haut-Vernet

Asked by TF1, the inhabitants of Haut-Vernet are still wondering about the place where the bones of little Emile were found. “We’ve searched so many places that I can’t believe we could have missed this place.”, confided a resident to the microphone of TF1 and added: “If it really is an accident, I would feel guilty for not having found it”.

Another resident of Vernet, for her part, congratulated the police for their involvement in the research. “It’s good that there are still people on the ground until the truth is known about this story”.

Disappearance of Emile: this new investigation which begins after the discovery of the little boy’s skull

Investigators who begin a new part of their investigation. Still according to François Daoust, this time for our colleagues from 20 minutes, the discovery of little Emile’s skeleton completely changes the face of the investigation. “It is a new investigation. From the moment we know he’s dead, and that he’s been there for a while, we have to start again assuming it was from day one.”, he explains.