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Police have hope againNew DNA samples! Will they finally find Émile's (†2) murderer?
Little Émile from the French community of Le Vernet is dead.
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Is this the breakthrough in the years-long investigation?
The mysterious murder case surrounding little Émile (†2) from France, who first disappeared without a trace and then was found dead, is still unsolved. The most pressing question: Who killed the boy? With new investigations, the police are finally hoping for a hot lead.
Locals and holidaymakers provide DNA samples
By decision of the responsible public prosecutor's office, a large-scale DNA test is currently being carried out. The French media Le Parisien and BFMTV report this unanimously. We are talking about several dozen to around 100 people whose DNA is being collected. These include villagers from Le Vernet, holidaymakers and everyone who was in the town at the time of Émile's disappearance.
The goal: Investigators want to compare the DNA with the one they found on the dead boy's clothing and not match a profile of a family member. The DNA samples are taken directly at a police station near Le Vernet.
Émile disappeared from the French mountain village of Le Vernet.
Thibaut Durand / Le Dauphiné Libéré
On July 8, 2023, little Émile disappeared from his grandparents' garden in the French mountain village of Le Vernet. In March 2024, a hiker found the two-year-old's skull on a nearby hiking trail. It was a sad certainty: the little boy is dead! During the investigation it became clear how Émile died – he received a “deliberate blow, possibly with an object” to the skull.
Reading tip: Death of little Émile (2) – a chronology of events
Video tip: Boy (3) goes missing – this stray dog saves him!
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Émile's (†2) family came into the focus of investigators
But who is responsible for the blonde boy's death is still unclear to this day. The investigators have already checked several times whether family members had a hand in the matter. In March 2025 Émile's maternal grandparents and two of their adult children arrested. The public prosecutor's office accused them of “intentional homicide” and “concealment of a corpse.” They were released again after two days. At the end of January 2026, Émile's uncle Maximin (20) became the focus of investigators.
But so far all investigations have come to nothing – and Émile's murder remains unsolved!
Sources used: Le Parisien, BFMTV
