The stays of a two-year-old boy, who went lacking within the French Alps in July, have been discovered close to the place he disappeared, in response to native media stories.

Bones, together with a cranium, have been found by a walker close to Le Vernet within the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence on Saturday.

Forensic exams confirmed they belonged to the boy, identified solely as Emile, French broadcaster BFMTV mentioned, quoting prosecutors.

Some stories named him as Émile Soleil.

Prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon mentioned: "On Saturday, the police were told of the discovery of bones near the hamlet of Le Vernet."

After testing them, police concluded on Sunday that "they were the bones of the child Emile," he added.

Mr Blachon, who was quoted by France24, didn't give a explanation for loss of life, however mentioned that forensic investigators have been persevering with to analyse the stays, whereas police carried out additional searches.

The boy was final seen by two witnesses strolling down a avenue close to his grandparents' home on 8 July final yr, in response to authorities on the time.

He had arrived within the space the day earlier than to stick with his maternal grandparents for the summer time holidays.

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Francois Balique, the native mayor, mentioned on the time that the couple "realised he was no longer there when they went to put him in the car".

They stay in a distant mountain village with solely two dozen inhabitants simply outdoors Le Vernet, between Grenoble and Nice.

The little boy was lower than 3ft tall and was carrying a yellow T-shirt and white shorts when he was final seen.

A massive ground search involving dozens of law enforcement officials and troopers, supported by sniffer canine, a helicopter and drones, failed to search out him, as did a reconstruction wherein his household took half.

Police admitted that they had no idea what had happened to him.

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A prosecutor mentioned after a number of days it was unlikely such a younger little one would have survived in the summertime warmth.

The case, which started as a lacking particular person investigation, quickly turned a legal inquiry right into a doable abduction, though police didn't rule out homicide, an accident or a fall.

In late November, a day earlier than Emile would have turned three, his mother and father revealed a name for solutions in a Christian weekly publication, France 24 mentioned.

"Tell us where he is," they wrote.