In Haut-Vernet, a hamlet in the commune of Le Vernet, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region, the 106 DNA samples taken from people present during Émile’s disappearance failed to identify any match among the genetic traces found on his clothing. Announced on August 28, 2026, this result leaves this lead unanswered. Since then, gendarmes returned to the site on September 23, without the reason for their visit being publicly disclosed.
The 106 samples did not allow for the identification of traces
The campaign, conducted in the spring of 2026, targeted residents, vacationers, and others who might have been in Haut-Vernet on July 8, 2023, the day the little boy disappeared. None of the 106 profiles compared matched the traces found on his clothing, according to information reported on August 28 by franceinfo and confirmed by other media outlets.
This result alone is insufficient to determine who left these traces or under what circumstances. Nor does it identify any suspects. The investigation focuses on Émile’s disappearance and death, the circumstances of which remain unexplained.
The grandparents, through their lawyer, want the investigation to continue in order to identify the origin of the DNA. This is important for investigators, but even a possible identification would not, in itself, be sufficient to establish responsibility for the child’s death.
A return of the gendarmes to Haut-Vernet in September
On September 23, officers from the Marseille Research Section returned to the hamlet and inspected two areas, including a path within the perimeter where evidence related to the case had been discovered. The precise reason for this visit was not made public. Therefore, it is not possible to confirm whether this was a new lead or an operation directly linked to the DNA results. Alpes 1 reported this presence on September 24 .
These elements concern Haut-Vernet and the commune of Vernet, in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department, in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region. They do not constitute a development that would affect the entire region, but they are being monitored locally due to the ongoing investigation.
The steps are still uncertain.
In its report of August 28, franceinfo indicated that a new testing campaign could target tourists present in the area in July 2023. This possibility was reported by the media outlet and should not be presented as an officially confirmed decision. At this stage, publicly available information does not allow us to know whether this initiative has been launched or whether the September travel is related to it.
Investigators are also continuing to examine anonymous letters sent to the police and the family, according to the report. For local residents, the main development remains the lack of any matches among the 106 profiles tested; the identity of the person who left the traces and the circumstances of the death remain unknown.
Source: franceinfo- Alpes-de-Haute-Provence
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