Death of Emile, 2, in Alps: Grandparents in police custody on suspicion of murder

The maternal grandparents of Emile, 2 - who went missing from their home in the Alps in 2023 and was subsequently found dead - have been taken into police custody along with the boy's aunt and uncle on suspicion of “voluntary homicide”.

All four have been taken into custody in connection with Emile’s death, including for the allegation of “concealing a corpse (recel de cadavre)”, announced the chief public prosecutor of Aix-en-Provence, Jean-Luc Blachon, in a press release seen by the Agence France-Presse on Tuesday, March 25.

The aunt and uncle are “two of the grandparents’ adult children”, Mr Blachon added, saying that the investigations being carried out are now “criminal operations”, he said.

The grandparents’ lawyer, Isabelle Colombani, confirmed to AFP that they had been taken into custody, but added: “I have no comment, I have only just found out.”

Investigators have also conducted a search of the main home of Emile's grandparents in La Bouilladisse (Bouches-du-Rhône), report Le Parisien and TF1 Info.

Disappearance and discovery

Emile Soleil disappeared at the age of two and a half in the hamlet of Haut-Vernet (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence), in July 2023, soon after arriving at his grandparents’ holiday home in the hamlet to have a holiday with other members of his large family. His parents were not present at the time.

Some witnesses said they saw Emile walking away from the house and around the hamlet, but subsequent searches (including local search parties, helicopter searches, and sniffer dog visits) found no sign of him.

Read more: Boy, 2, missing in French Alps: Outsiders banned from search site 
Read also: Boy, 2, missing in French Alps: Sniffer dogs search for human remains 

Almost a year later, his bones were discovered in a wooded area by a hiker, on March 30, 2024, around 1.7 km away from the hamlet (a 25-minute walk for an adult).

They included a child’s skull and teeth, later identified as belonging to Emile. Another small piece of bone and clothing, also belonging to Emile, were found nearby in a separate search.

Emile’s funeral was held on February 8, in the basilica of Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume (Var), in the presence of the whole family.

Read also: Death of Emile, 2: what is known about new bone found in Alps hamlet? 
Read more: Bones of Emile, 2, found in area already searched near Alps hamlet 

Fresh speculation

Yet, on March 13 this year, speculation on the circumstances surrounding the case started anew when investigators and gendarmes returned to Haut-Vernet.

“The arrests are part of a phase of verification and cross-checking of the evidence and information gathered during the investigations carried out in recent months,” Mr Blachon said. Investigators are also conducting forensic operations in various locations throughout the country, and this new breakthrough has reportedly come after an investigation into previously-unheard telephone calls. 

“A further announcement will be made once the current operations have been completed,” he said.