WHEN walkers discovered the bones of the two-year-old Emile, the circumstances around it eerily echoed another case that shocked France.
The details of Emile Soleil's disappearance share chilling similarities with a missing teen Lucas Tronche whose remains were also found near his home.
Tragic Emile Soleil vanished in the apparently idyllic French Alpine hamlet of Le Vernet last July.
Nine months later, his remains were discovered mysteriously close to his Alpine village.
Similarly, Lucas' whereabouts couldn't be tracked for six years after his disappearance despite extensive search involving tracking dogs and thermal vision helicopters.
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His bones were finally uncovered in Bagnols-sur-Cèze, Gard - just a mile away from his house - in June 2021.
On the day of his disappearance, the 16-year-old was supposed to take a bus to his swimming classes with his brother but never showed up to the stop.
He allegedly left the house without his swimming gear and his mobile phone was switched off.
The police deployed frantic search for the teenager and scoured 2.5 miles radius around his family home - but to no avail.
It wasn't until several years later that a new investigating judge ordered a search in an area that wasn't previously identified.
This area wasn't searched before because of being "virtually impossible to access", reported LeFigaro.
Close to Lucas' house, on the peak of Mas jaune, some bones, pieces of clothing and a cell phone were discovered.
DNA tests confirmed that these were the remains of the teenager and the phone also matched that of Lucas.
Lucas was found on a cliff which he frequently visited with his father to collect stones due to his passion for geology.
The cause of his death remains unknown but the prosecution didn't rule out the possibility of "an accidental fall".
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This story resonated with the public especially in light of the case of little Emile whose death is also shrouded in mystery.
A hiker stumbled upon the bones of missing French tot on Saturday - just 100 yards from his grandparents' home.
His remains have been discovered in a field that had been scoured for clues shortly after his disappearance — leaving locals wondering if they had been removed by his killer, and then replaced.
Prosecutors are still working to determine the cause of little Emile's death by analysing the skull and bones that were found.
However, the investigation could be complicated after the hiker that came across the toddler's bones might have accidentally tampered with the evidence.
The walker saw the skull and surprisingly picked it straight up and took it with her to the local gendarmerie, a source close to the investigation told BFMTV.
This could have removed key clues and goes against basic crime scene advice not to touch any evidence.
An ex-CIA psychic has told The Sun that he identified the area where the body of a two-year-old was found and immediately told police.
Maj Dames, 74, showed The Sun emails he sent police in December saying Emile was “located at, or in proximity to” a field that turned out to be immediately next to the site.
He said he had been alerted by a member of the public and added: “It took me two days. I jumped on it immediately. I knew this is a serious case and the sense of urgency is high.”
Resident Gilles Thézan said: “I say that the little one died and that someone went to hide him there much later.
“Now that we have found little Emile, the police will be able to speed up their investigation.”
'Village of the damned'
The toddler had been left in the care of his grandfather, 58-year-old Philippe Vedovini, while his parents took a break. A witness reported seeing Mr Vedovini cutting wood outside his house at the time Emile is thought to have wandered off.
Mr Vedovini is a former monk who quit to marry. Earlier this month it emerged he was questioned in 2018 as part of an active criminal inquiry into historic child abuse at a school where he worked.
He was said to have admitted administering “somewhat harsh” physical discipline, but insisted he had never broken the law.
He and his wife brought up ten children, including Emile’s mother Marie. She and husband Colomban Soleil have also been probed by police over their extreme-right wing political background.
In 2015 Vernet was the scene of 150 deaths when an Airbus A320 was crashed by its co-pilot, who had been treated for suicidal tendencies.
In 2008 a cafe boss was murdered by a customer. One resident said: “Everybody is saying it — Vernet feels like a village of the damned.”
