The body of a child found in the Gers region has been confirmed to be that of 11-year-old Lyhanna. This was confirmed after an autopsy performed on Friday. The middle school student had disappeared on May 29 in Fleurance, Gers, after last being seen leaving her school.
The autopsy has not yet provided an explanation for the death.
The forensic pathologists have not yet been able to determine the cause of death. Further expert examinations have been requested. The investigation must now establish precisely the circumstances and timing of Lyhanna's death, and whether any forensic evidence formally links the death to the events under investigation.
The body was discovered on a farm.
The body was found on Thursday, June 4th, on a farm in the Puycasquier area, about fifteen kilometers from Fleurance. It was located in a secluded spot, out of direct view, and the clothing matched that worn by Lyhanna when she disappeared. The site was secured to allow for forensic investigation and to preserve evidence.
A suspect already charged
Jérôme BarellaA 41-year-old man, the father of a friend of Lyhanna's, has been charged with the kidnapping and confinement of a minor under the age of 15. He has been placed in pretrial detention. The young girl had been seen getting into his vehicle on the day of her disappearance.
The chronology is at the heart of the investigation
Lyhanna had not been seen or heard from since Friday, May 29, around 15 p.m., after leaving the Hubert-Reeves middle school in Fleurance. Her disappearance was reported that evening. A large-scale search was launched in the Gers region before her body was discovered six days later.
The investigation is ongoing
The identification of the body ends the uncertainty surrounding Lyhanna's fate, but not the investigation. Further analyses must now determine the cause of death and help investigators reconstruct the child's final hours.
