Émile disappeared from his grandparents' garden in the tiny village of Le Vernet last July. The French police have so far had no clues as to what might have happened to him.
The small town was only sealed off on Thursday in order to reconstruct the last moments in which the boy was seen on the spot. Two witnesses saw the boy in front of his grandparents’ house shortly before he disappeared. The case caused great horror in France. Even months after the boy's disappearance, media interest is high.