In July, two-year-old Émile disappeared in France. Now a young farmer is being targeted by investigators.
There is apparently a new lead in the case of two-year-old Émile, who disappeared in France. According to a report by French broadcaster BFM DICI, investigators searched the home of a young farmer in the hamlet of Roussimal in the foothills of the Alps for two days last week. The reason for this was, among other things, a dispute between the young farmer and Émile’s grandfather, which is said to have happened on the day the little boy disappeared.
According to the report, the young farmer argued with Émile’s grandfather, whose property borders the farmer’s, over the straightening of an area of earth. The wall of the grandfather’s property is said to have been damaged during the farmer’s work.
A cousin of the now suspected farmer spoke about the incident on television: “He (Émile’s grandfather, editor’s note) shouted at my cousin early in the morning and even woke me up. It’s not the first time. He shouts at everyone .”
A tractor attracts the attention of the villagers
But the young man is said not to have allowed himself to be provoked and avoided the argument. Afterwards, the two cousins drove cows out to pasture.
The anecdote about the dispute is probably of interest to the investigators because the young farmer was already known to them. During the first witness interviews after Émile’s disappearance, it emerged that the young farmer was probably one of the last two people who saw the little boy.
In addition, the unusual sighting of a tractor in the village was apparently another indication of the raid on the young farmer. On July 8th, when little Émile disappeared, at least one villager spotted a tractor on the main street in the morning. This is strange because the machines are usually in the surrounding fields during the season. “It was the first time I saw a tractor on the main path of the village that doesn’t lead to any fields,” a neighbor told the television station about the incident.
“It’s not surprising that nothing is moving forward”
Meanwhile, the suspect’s cousin has no understanding that the police searched the young farmer’s property because of an argument and the sighting of a tractor. According to his relative, the latter did not use a tractor at least that day.
“There are other farmers who were harvesting during this time. To be honest, I don’t understand what the investigators are looking for. A child disappears and they come to look at a young person who has nothing to do with it. It’s not surprising “that nothing is progressing,” he told BFM DICI.
Investigators are currently still trying to find out where the suspected farmer was on the afternoon of July 8th. His cousin couldn’t answer this, although it was proven that the two had spoken to each other on the phone that afternoon. He is said not to have been in the village. It is not known what the young farmer said during the witness interviews.
Little Émile was staying with his grandparents in the mountain village. Neighbors last saw the boy alone in an alley in the hamlet near Digne-les-Bains on the day he disappeared. According to reports, the child lived with his parents in Bouches-du-Rhône, near Marseille. In mid-July, investigators stopped searching for Émile. You can read more about the case here.
2023-10-30 14:53:00
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