The hiker that found the remains of missing toddler Émile Soleil has spoken out about the incident for the first time since the discovery.
She found the skull and bones of the boy almost a year after his disappearance in the French Alps last summer.
Émile Soleil vanished in the small village of Haut-Vernet in July 2023, which was followed by an urgent search to find the missing toddler, though it was halted after five days, despite the investigation into his location continuing.
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Officers, soldiers and volunteers attempted to search for the boy on foot, with drones and helicopters also being used in an effort to find him, but it was ultimately unsuccessful.
But on 30 March 2024, a hiker heartbreakingly found a skull and bones, which was confirmed by forensic scientists to match the DNA of Émile, near the hamlet of Le-vernet, close to where he was last seen.
It was then revealed that the two-year-old's clothes were found almost 500ft from where his remains were, though scattered across a few metres according to French prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon, who is leading the criminal investigation into Émile's disappearance.
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The hiker in question, who has helped to bring these new findings to light, said that she was shocked when police chose to search her home after she reported the discovery.
In fact, she was questioned for nine hours following what was meant to be an innocent walk, and had all of her electronic devices seized as part of the investigation.
She is known only as Manon and in her 60s. The woman spoke to BFM news channel about her walk down a mountain path close to Haut Vernet on 30 March.
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Though she was aware that Émile had gone missing from the area, detectives have been sceptical of if the boy's disappearance was part of something more sinister.
Manon doesn't remember how long she was walking for before she came across what she calls 'the thing'.
She revealed: "I found it in the middle of the path.
"It was white, and very clean, There were only the top teeth…I cried, and then I calmed down."
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As Manon couldn't call anyone, she put the skull in one of two plastic bags that she brings on hikes to cover her feet when it's wet.
"I could have left [the skull] but then, by the time I went back, it would no longer have been there,
"That’s why I picked it up, I know that on days with weather like this, if you wait, the mountain is no longer the same," she said.
The woman in her 60s made sure not to touch the skull, but did not know for sure if her DNA was transferred to the remains.
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She then realised: "I said to myself, I need a landmark.
"Then I saw a huge fir tree collapsed on its side. I said to myself, 'this is the fir tree that will serve as a landmark.'"
"I was running, I wanted to hurry," she explained, as she ran to a place with signal so that she could call the police and help with the investigation.
"The whole trip, I carried the thing at arm’s length, because feeling the shape touching my body, terrified me," Manon admitted.
After arriving home at 2pm, she left the skull outside as bringing it inside was 'inconceivable'.
As detectives arrived at 3pm, they questioned her for nine hours without actually arresting her.
She claimed: "They were doing their job, I answered their questions, and that’s it,
"The next day I didn’t expect it – search!"
Manon cried when she recalled the ordeal, where they didn't record any of her words on a camera, but left a heartfelt message as she is a very religious woman.
Expressing sorrow to his parents, Manon said: "May they find peace… May God give them peace."
Prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon has preciously said that wild animals could be responsible for dispersing his remains, as well as for the 'small fractures and bite marks' found on his skull and missing teeth.
He also ruled Manon out as a suspect after the interview and subsequent search of her home, claiming that she just ‘wanted to do the right thing’.
Unfortunately, he also said that they were no closer to solving the mystery, with manslaughter and murder still possibilities.
Topics: World News, News, Crime
Joshua Nair