The mysterious case of Émile Soleil's death has intensified with locals now suggesting the tragic French toddler may have been eaten by wolves.
The chilling theory comes after a new bone fragment was discovered earlier this month near the spot where the two-year-old's skull was found in a French Alpine village.
Émile's skull - which contained fractures and a bite mark - was found by a walker on March 30 on a path between the Church and Chapel of the rural Alpine village of Haut Vernet in southeastern France.
The site, less than a mile from where Émile disappeared while staying with his grandfather last July, had already been scoured by gendarmes with a 'tooth comb', the mayor told Le Figaro.
The prosecutor in the Émile Soleil case, Jean-Luc Blachon, said wild animals may have dispersed Émile's remains and could also have been responsible for 'small fractures' and 'bite marks' on his skull.
The mystery in the case of Émile Soleil's death has intensified, as locals now suggest the toddler may have been eaten by wolves
The prosecutor in the Émile Soleil case, Jean-Luc Blachon, said wild animals may have dispersed Émile's remains and could also have been responsible for 'small fractures' and 'bite marks' on his skull (stock image)
Earlier this month, it was revealed police were no closer to solving the mystery, with authorities baffled as to how the Émile 'wandered off' and perished, and mayor François Balique suggesting that an adult may have been responsible for his death.
He said: 'I can't help but believe that an adult is involved in this matter. Émile would never have gone alone to where he was found.'
While authorities work to determine the cause of the toddler's death by analysing the skull and bones that were found, a new theory around Emile's unsettling death has surfaced.
Locals from Haut Vernet now believe that Émile was killed in a devastating attack by a pack of wolves.
One resident told Le Parisien: 'The little one must have been the victim of an animal. And I only see the wolf as the culprit. They say wolves are afraid of people, but with a little boy like that, a big boy, the wolf would have seen him as another prey.'
Vernet residents have also fueled the theory by confirming that several wolves have been spotted in the area.
Stéphane Chevrier, president of the Vernet hunters' association, told Le Figaro: 'Our department of Alpes-de-Haute-Provence is one of the largest recorded wolf populations.'
He added: 'Last September there were several attacks on cows and sheep near Vernet.'
Émile's skull - which contained fractures and a bite mark - was found by a walker on March 30 on a path between the Church and Chapel of the rural Alpine village
French gendarmes take part in a search operation for two-and-a-half-year-old Émile who is reporting missing
Volunteers take part in a search operation for two-and-a-half-year-old Émile who is reported missing
Mayor Balique has now leaned in the direction of a wolf attack being a possible cause of Émile's death.
He said: 'There are some wolves here, especially in the summer with the sheep flocks. A wolf can very well grab a child at the village well and run for half an hour without stopping and without shedding blood.'
Meanwhile, Emile's grieving mother, Marie Soleil, has spoken for the first time since the death of her young son was announced.
Posting on the Facebook group Pray for Emile, Marie wrote in a heartfelt message, translated from French: 'We try to read all your messages, whether comments, PMs, letters... And are always very touched by your compassion.'
It comes after the extreme-right wing political background of Émile's parents had been examined by authorities shortly after his disappearance in 2023, as fears for his safety grew.
The toddler's father, Colomban Soleil was revealed to be an activist linked to Action Francaise, the notorious far-Right nationalist and royalist group, as well as the neofascist Bastion Social.
