The horrifying cause of death of Emile Soleil has been revealed over two years after his disappearance from the French village of Haut-Vernet.
The latest expert report also revealed disturbing details about how the toddler’s body may have been stored by the killer.
Two-year-old Emile vanished from his grandparents’ home on July 8, 2023, and despite days of searching, the child was not found.
His remains were then discovered nearly a year later by a hiker in March 2024, only 1.7 km from the village.
According to Le Parisien, analysis of the bones has now revealed an injury on the cheekbone area, next to the right zygomatic bone.
The new report’s leading hypothesis is that the lesion occurred from a deliberate blow causing ‘violent facial trauma,’ potentially inflicted using an object.
In addition, pollen and insect examinations revealed that the child’s body had been kept ‘for many months in an enclosed space, sheltered from the elements, but not very airtight.’
Places fitting this description could include a barn, stable or a similar agricultural setting.
Two-year-old Emile vanished from his grandparent’s home on July 8, 2023
His remains were discovered nearly a year later by a hiker in March 2024, only 1.7 km from the village
The yellow t-shirt Emile had been wearing when he disappeared showed no signs of organic decomposition, and only pollen found in the Haut-Vernon area was detected.
This may suggest that the toddler’s body was undressed very soon after his death.
Detectives had previously said they believed the remains of Emile were likely preserved in a protected, almost sterile environment like a freezer before being moved and found.
The new report comes as Emile’s grandparents, aunt and uncle have been questioned for the first time since he vanished.
His grandparents, Philippe and Anne Vedovini, and two of their children, Maximin and Marthe Vedovini spoke to the investigating judges of the criminal division of Aix-en-Provence on December 9.
According to local reports, each family member was heard for an hour as civil parties by the two magistrates in charge of the case.
On March 25, 2024, the group of four were taken into custody for ‘voluntary homicide’ and ‘concealing a corpse’, before being released 48 hours later without charge.
But the public prosecutor of Aix-en-Provence, Jean-Luc Blachon said the possibility of a family connection has not been ruled out. Since then the family members have filed civil suits in the case.
The new report comes as Emile’s grandparents, aunt and uncle have been questioned for the first time since he vanished.
The group of four were taken into custody for ‘voluntary homicide’ and ‘concealing a corpse’, before being released
The Vedovini family reportedly fell out with Father Gilliot after he shared a photo of Emile with the media
‘This is obviously a very important step for my client, given that her last hearings were conducted while she was in police custody.This time, she was being heard as a civil party,’ Anne Vedovini’s lawyer, Julien Pinelli, told Le Parisien.
The mystery surrounding Emile’s disappearance and death deepened as it emerged in March this year that the family’s Roman Catholic priest who baptised Emile before he went missing had ‘taken his own life’, according to reports.
Father Claude Gilliot, 85, is said to have died from a ‘massive overdose’ at his home in Aix-en-Provence, French media reported.
Claims have been made that he fell out with the Vedovini family before his death after providing a photo of the little boy to the media.
