On July 8, Émile disappeared while staying with his grandparents in Haut-Vernet. And despite the almost immediate mobilization of the police, the investigation is still at a standstill. Drones and a dog squad were called in to try and track him down, but to no avail. A suspicious concrete slab was broken up, a body of water inspected by divers... The two-year-old's whereabouts remain unknown.
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For Jacques Dallest, magistrate and author of Cold case : un magistrat enquête. He spoke to 20 Minutes:
This does not mean that the investigation is not progressing. Investigative acts are carried out every day, or almost every day, to verify this or that element and thus close doors.
But in view of the lawyer's clarifications, the investigators seem to be in real trouble...
No more 'emergency phase' for little Émile
As Jacques Dallest explains: three months later, the boy is no longer an emergency.
Unfortunately, we're no longer in the emergency phase. We're now looking for a body. This is an essential element in the investigation, as it can carry the perpetrator's DNA and provide clues as to the conditions of the death.
The more time passes, the more these elements tend to disappear.
The investigators are no longer working in the field, but in the laboratory, analyzing the data collected so far. They are also monitoring the 1,600 lines marked out in the area on the day of the tragedy.
For each of them, we're going to check who owns the line, when it was terminated, and what its route was. The people are then summoned, we have to analyze whether their timetable is coherent, their antecedents.
Read more:Missing French toddler: Retired prosecutor gives his chilling theory on what happened to Émile
Émile's loved ones under the microscope
While no leads have been ruled out, the police have also suspected the boy's relatives. Jacques Dallest says:
They were among the last people to see him, so it's normal to explore this hypothesis. Unfortunately, without even talking about a crime, we sometimes see a domestic accident disguised as a disappearance.
Their phone lines, their movements, but also their homes and vehicles were each inspected.
Generally speaking, in three months, if there's no police custody, it's because we haven't found anything decisive. But of course, everything can change.
It's been a long, drawn-out investigation, although the investigators hope to find more clues over the winter.
Read more:Missing French toddler: Expert reveals why it should be easier to find Émile this winter
This article has been translated from Oh!MyMag FR.
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