The grandparents of Émile Soleil, a French toddler who disappeared nearly two years ago, have been arrested on suspicion of his murder, prosecutors revealed on Tuesday, March 25.
The shocking development marks a significant turn in the investigation into the young boy’s tragic death.
Two-year-old Émile was last seen in the garden of his grandparents’ home in Le Haut-Vernet, a small village in the French Alps, in July 2023.
Despite extensive searches in the following months, no trace of the child was found, leaving authorities and the public perplexed.
It wasn’t until nine months later that Émile’s remains were discovered by a hiker near the village, sparking renewed efforts to uncover the circumstances surrounding his death.
In a breakthrough development, Émile’s grandfather, Philippe Vedovini, and his unnamed wife were arrested in La Bouilladisse, a town near Marseille, on suspicion of “voluntary homicide” and “concealing a corpse.”
The Aix-en-Provence public prosecutor confirmed the arrests, which also involved two other individuals, though their identities have not been disclosed.
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Émile’s disappearance in 2023 deeply shocked the French public, and the search for the child garnered widespread media attention.
At the time, Émile’s parents were not present when he went missing, and they continued to hope for a miracle despite the lack of progress in the investigation.
The case has taken on an eerie complexity due to past reports about the child’s grandfather.
According to French news outlet BFMTV, Philippe Vedovini was questioned in the 1990s over allegations of violence and sexual assault at a private school, though police had previously ruled him out as a primary suspect.
Earlier this month, investigators revisited Le Haut-Vernet, combing through several spots in the area with forensic teams.
