DNA Collection Expanded in Émile Soleil Case
French authorities are launching an extensive DNA collection campaign targeting approximately one hundred individuals in connection with the ongoing investigation into the death of Émile Soleil, a young boy who disappeared in July 2023. The move comes as investigators seek to identify an unidentified genetic trace discovered on the child’s shoe.
The investigation, which has captivated France for nearly three years, has reached a critical stage with this unprecedented effort to gather DNA samples. According to reports, the campaign will include permanent residents, second-home owners, renters, visitors, and even those who were simply passing through the Haut-Vernet area in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region around 5:15 PM on July 8, 2023 – the time Émile was last seen. This development underscores the complexities of investigating crimes in remote areas with transient populations.
Family members of Émile have already provided DNA samples earlier in the investigation and will not be included in this new round of collections. The initial phase of the campaign has already begun, with samples taken from four individuals in recent days. The collection process is not limited to the Vernet commune, but is too being conducted in various departments across France, based on the residences of those being asked to participate.
Investigators are hoping to match the collected samples to the unidentified DNA found on Émile’s clothing, which was discovered in March 2024. The analysis will be conducted to compare the samples to the unknown genetic material. This announcement could influence future investigative strategies in similar cases.
Meanwhile, additional investigative steps are being taken. In late January, lawyers representing Émile’s maternal grandparents and their children – who were previously held for questioning in March 2025 on suspicion of voluntary homicide and concealing a body but later released due to insufficient evidence – submitted nearly 20 requests for further investigation to the investigating judges in Aix-en-Provence.
Three bicycles were also seized from the grandparents’ home, and are currently undergoing analysis at a private forensic hematology laboratory in Bordeaux.
