On Thursday, March 27, the police custody of Emile’s grandparents, who have been missing for nearly two years, was officially lifted, according to their legal representatives.
Philippe Vedovini and his wife, Anne, had been in custody since Tuesday as part of the investigation into the death of their two-year-old grandson, who disappeared from their residence in the southern French Alps in July 2023. The search for Emile yielded no results until late March of the following year, when a hiker discovered a child’s skull and teeth near their home.
Late Wednesday night, Anne Vedovini’s attorney announced that her client’s custody had been terminated. Philippe’s lawyer confirmed early Thursday that the same decision applied to him. “After 17 hours of questioning today, the police custody has been lifted,” stated Isabelle Colombani, Philippe’s lawyer, as she exited the police station in Marseille shortly before 5 am. “The investigators conducted thorough work, and we could see the significant effort that was put in,” she remarked, noting that her client “responded to all” inquiries.
Julien Pinelli, representing Anne, mentioned that his client “wants to engage in what could understandably be perceived as a trial.” He added, “She did this because she believed it was her way of contributing to the investigation, the results of which she is now eagerly awaiting.”
Additionally, two of the Vedovinis’ adult children were also taken into custody. All four family members faced charges of murder and concealment of a corpse, as stated by Aix-en-Provence prosecutor Jean-Luc Blachon early Tuesday.
The announcements from the grandparents’ attorneys precede a press conference scheduled for Thursday noon, where Blachon indicated he would “address the status of the investigation.”
Philippe Vedovini and his wife are devout Catholics and have raised 10 children, all of whom were educated at home.
Emile was last observed strolling by himself on a street in Le Vernet, a village situated 1,200 meters high in the French Alps, during the late afternoon of July 8, 2023. He was dressed in a yellow T-shirt, white shorts, and small hiking shoes. Despite extensive search efforts, no trace of the boy was found. Nine months later, a hiker came across his skull and teeth located 1.7 kilometers from the village. Subsequently, authorities discovered additional bones and pieces of the boy’s clothing.
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