It's been nearly four months since two-year-old Émile vanished without a trace from his grandparents' home in the mountain village of Vernet in Southern France.
Despite extensive searches, he has not been found.
French news channel BFM TV has now revealed new details about the day Émile disappeared. According to the channel, a 17-year-old boy living with his parents on a farm in a neighboring village has been identified as a new potential suspect.
The boy and his parents have already been questioned by the police.
The family's home, located about five kilometers from Vernet, was searched last week.
The 17-year-old is already known for minor legal infractions and for driving his tractor too fast through the village streets. New information suggests that he had a heated argument with Émile's grandfather on the day the young boy disappeared.
The 17-year-old's cousin, one of the last people to see Émile, told the police that the grandfather was angry because the 17-year-old had damaged a wall in his house with his tractor.
However, this claim is contradicted by other testimonies. At least one local resident reported seeing a tractor pass by the grandparents' home that morning.
The police have stated that they are keeping all options open, while also noting that they have not found any evidence to suggest that anything criminal has happened to the two-year-old.
