The remains of a young boy who vanished from a tiny hamlet in the French Alps last summer were discovered near the site of his disappearance, according to authorities. Émile Soleil was 2 and a half years old when he was last seen on July 8, spotted walking alone along a street in Le Vernet by two neighbors, according to Agence France-Presse. He had been staying with his grandparents for the summer. On Sunday, French prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon announced that police had been “informed of the discovery of bones” near the village a day prior. He said that genetic testing had confirmed the remains, which were found by a walker, to be Soleil’s. A cause of death was not immediately announced, with Blachon saying that a forensic investigation remains ongoing. “This heartbreaking news was feared,” the boy’s parents said in a statement released through their lawyer. They added that it was time for “mourning, contemplation, and prayer,” and asked to be given privacy.
