Gendarmes secure an area around the village of Haut-Vernet in the Southern Alps on April 2, 2024. A new fragment of bone belonging to Emile, a young boy who disappeared in early July in the hamlet of Haut-Vernet in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, was discovered near where other remains had been found about ten days prior. The bone fragment was found in the same area as the child’s clothes, below the skull, but does not provide any new information on the cause of death. The bone fragment was identified by the National Gendarmerie’s Criminal Research Institute as belonging to the two-and-a-half-year-old child.
Nearly nine months after his disappearance on July 8, Emile’s skull, teeth, and the clothes he was wearing on the day he disappeared were found approximately 1.7 kilometers from the village of Haut-Vernet. However, these discoveries have not shed any light on the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death. Investigators have not been able to determine if the child fell, was involved in an accidental homicide, or was murdered. Despite the recent discoveries, the mystery surrounding Emile’s death remains unresolved.
Two days after the initial discovery of Emile’s remains, his shirt, shoes, and underwear were found scattered about 150 meters downhill from where the bones were initially spotted. The area where the remains were found is near a stream that descends from the mountain, with a very steep slope of about 30%. It is unclear how long the remains had been in that location, as they could have been moved by a person, an animal, or weather conditions since the child’s disappearance. The region had been thoroughly searched with tracking dogs and helicopters equipped with thermal cameras shortly after Emile went missing.
The investigation into Emile’s death has been ongoing since the discovery of his remains in late March. The circumstances surrounding the boy’s disappearance and death have baffled investigators, with no clear theories emerging as to what happened to him. The area where his remains were found has been thoroughly examined, but no definitive answers have been found. The case has sparked speculation and concern within the community, with many questions remaining unanswered about how the young boy met his tragic end. The search for answers continues as authorities work to piece together the events leading up to Emile’s disappearance and death in the remote village of Haut-Vernet.
