FRENCH POLICE HAVE found the remains of a nine-year-old French schoolgirl who vanished from a wedding in the Alps last August in a case that gripped the country, a prosecutor has said.

Chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, a 34-year-old former soldier, guided investigators to the site in the hills after a trace of Maelys de Araujo’s blood was found in his car.

Having spent months denying the crime, Lelandais admitted to having killed her “by mistake” and had hidden the body afterwards, prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat told reporters in the town of Grenoble.

Lelandais, a former military dog-handler, was a guest of the groom at the marriage near Chambery in the alpine Isere region and was charged with her murder last November.

Sources close to the investigation said Lelandais began “cooperating” in the search for Maelys’ body after he requested to speak to magistrates.

His change of heart was thought to be after a trace of Maelys’ blood was found in the boot of his car, according to a source who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity.

The unmarried suspect from the village of Domessin, 30 kilometres from Chambery, was also charged in December over the killing of a hitchhiking soldier in April.

Having been linked to two murders, police have begun poring over files of other missing people in the region amid fears that Lelandais could be a serial killer.

During the six-month probe into the disappearance of Maelys, several clues pointed towards the former soldier, including a trace of her DNA found in his vehicle, mobile phone data, and CCTV images filmed on the night of her disappearance.

The footage shows a car, identified by investigators as belonging to Lelandais, with “a faint silhouette in a white dress” like the one Maelys had been wearing.

Her parents “recognised elements of the dress, particularly the strap”, their lawyer Fabien Rajon said.

Lelandais’s defence had previously challenged the chronology of events as described by prosecutors.

Read: Man charged with kidnapping over disappearance of girl (9) at Alps wedding

More: Frantic search for nine-year-old girl who vanished from French wedding </s> French police have found the remains of an eight-year-old French girl who vanished from a wedding in the Alps last August in a case that gripped the country, a prosecutor has said.

Chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, a 34-year-old former soldier, guided investigators to the site in the hills after a trace of her blood was found in his car.

Having spent months denying the crime, Lelandais admitted to having killed her "by mistake" and having hidden the body afterwards, prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat told reporters in the town of Grenoble.

Lelandais, a former military dog-handler, was a guest of the groom at the marriage near Chambery in the alpine Isere region and was charged with her kidnap and murder last November.

Sources close to the investigation said Lelandais began "cooperating" in the search for Maelys's body after he requested to speak to magistrates.

His change of heart is thought to have come after a trace of her blood was found in the boot of his car.

The suspect from the village of Domessin, 30km from Chambery, was also charged in December over the killing of a hitchhiking soldier in April.

During the six-month investigation into the disappearance of Maelys, several clues pointed towards the former soldier, including a trace of her DNA found in his vehicle, mobile phone data, and CCTV images from the night of her disappearance.

The footage shows a car, identified by investigators as belonging to Lelandais, with "a faint silhouette in a white dress" like the one Maelys had been wearing.

Her parents "recognised elements of the dress, particularly the strap", their lawyer Fabien Rajon said.

Lelandais's defence had previously challenged the chronology of events as described by prosecutors. </s> A former soldier has admitted killing nine-year old French girl Maelys de Araujo who went missing in the Alps in August after he led police to her remains.

Police launched a widespread search for the girl after she disappeared from a wedding in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, in the Chambéry region of south-eastern France at around 3am on 27 August.

Now prosecutors say Nordahl Lelandais has admitted to killing the girl "accidentally" after being in the custody of police since September, although no further details were given about the circumstances of her death.

The 34-year-old led investigators to the remains of de Araujo after he agreed to cooperate with police when a trace of her blood was found in his car.

Lelandais was a guest of the groom and was previously charged with her kidnapping, admitting she was in his black Audi on the night of her disappearance.

Coquillat said during a press conference: "Tonight, Maelys' parents are no longer in the dark. They know that their daughter is dead, that she was killed. We informed them a few minutes ago that we had found the child's remains."

The suspect had taken police to a remote ravine in nearby Saint-France where they found her body after up to 100 officers assisted in the search.

Grenoble prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat said that Lelandais told police he "got rid of the body" and offered his apologies to the girl's parents, reported the Daily Telegraph.

He added: "It took us all day to find the place he said he had disposed of the body. We had to remove snow from the road to get to it."

On Wednesday (14 November) Lelandais spoke to judges after he was confronted with the fresh evidence saying he killed de Araujo "involuntarily".

It was reported that he first hid the child's body near his home and returned to the wedding before moving her body later.

Police fear that Lelandais may be a serial killer as he has also been charged with the murder of Arthur Noyer, 24, a soldier who went missing in April 2017 before his skull was found in the Alps.

Investigators will also probe whether Lelandais could be behind the unsolved Alps murders of three Britons in a forest car park in September 2012.

Saad al-Hilli, Iqbal al-Hilli and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf were shot dead on holiday in Chevaline, near Annecy, along with a passing French cyclist, Sylvain Mollier. </s> Jean-Yves Coquillat said investigators found some of Maelys De Araujo's remains in a snow-covered ravine, six months after she went missing.

The Grenoble prosecutor said Nordahl Lelandais, a 34-year-old man, told investigators he killed her "involuntarily," hid the body and then returned to the wedding party before eventually dumping the body in the ravine.

Lelandais had been a guest at the wedding on August 27 in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, near the mountain city of Chambery. </s> PARIS (AP) - A former military dog trainer confessed Wednesday to "unintentionally" killing a 9-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps last year prompted nationwide concern and months of fruitless searching.

Investigators at last found Maelys De Araujo's skull and some other remains Wednesday in a snow-covered ravine six months after she went missing, according to Grenoble Prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat.

Police were led to the remote site by chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, who was arrested and charged after her disappearance but repeatedly had denied wrongdoing. He was a guest at the same wedding in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, near the French mountain city of Chambery.

FILE - This undated photo released on Monday, Aug. 28, 2017, by Gendarmerie Nationale shows a portrait of missing girl, Maelys. French authorities say a man in custody confessed to "unintentionally" killing the 9-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps prompted nationwide concern. The prosecutor said chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais told investigators Wednesday Feb.14, 2018 that he killed her accidentally, hid the body and then returned to the wedding party before eventually dumping the body in the ravine. (Gendarmerie Nationale via AP, File)

Lelandais decided to come clean Wednesday after investigators found traces of the girl's blood in the trunk of Lelandais' car, the prosecutor told reporters.

Lelandais told investigators that he killed her accidentally, hid the body near his house and then returned to the wedding party. He later dumped the child's body in the remote ravine.

His lawyer said Lelandais had let children at the wedding party look at dogs he had in his car.

After Maelys went missing, police questioned more than 200 potential witnesses, and hundreds of volunteers helped search the area for days. Police dogs found the girl's scent but lost it in the wedding hall parking lot, suggesting she may have been forced into a vehicle or gotten into one voluntarily.

In his confession, Lelandais did not explain the circumstances of the girl's death, the prosecutor said.

"Lelandais asked investigation judges to question him today, because he had revelations to make," the prosecutor said. Afterward, the prosecutor said, Lelandais apologized to the girl and her parents.

His lawyer Alain Jakubowicz described surprise at hearing Lelandais' confession of Maelys' "accidental death," but did not give further details about what happened. The lawyer said he was dropping his request for Lelandais' release.

"I'm a father. Nothing worse can happen to you as a parent," he said, choking up.

Lelandais is also now suspected of killing a soldier months before in the same region.

FILE - In this Sept.28 2017 file photo, the father of a missing girl, Maelys, Joachim de Araujo, left, and his wife, Jennifer, hold a press conference in Lyon, central France. French authorities say a man in custody confessed to "unintentionally" killing the 9-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps prompted nationwide concern. The prosecutor said chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais told investigators Wednesday Feb.14, 2018 that he killed her accidentally, hid the body and then returned to the wedding party before eventually dumping the body in the ravine. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani, File) </s> A man in custody has confessed to “unintentionally” killing a nine-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps prompted nationwide concern, French authorities said.

Grenoble prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat said investigators found some of Maelys De Araujo’s remains on Wednesday in a snow-covered ravine, six months after she went missing.

The prosecutor said chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais told investigators on Wednesday that he killed her accidentally, hid the body and then returned to the wedding party before eventually dumping the body in the ravine.

Lelandais had also been a guest at the wedding in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, near the mountain city of Chambery.

The prosecutor said Lelandais did not explain the circumstances of the girl’s death. A former army dog handler, Lelandais had already been charged in her disappearance.– PA </s> A former military dog trainer has confessed to "unintentionally" killing a nine-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps last year prompted nationwide concern and months of fruitless searching.

A former military dog trainer has confessed to "unintentionally" killing a nine-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps last year prompted nationwide concern and months of fruitless searching.

Soldier leads police to ravine where he left remains of girl (9) after 'unintentionally killing' her during wedding

Investigators at last found Maelys De Araujo's skull and some other remains on Wednesday in a snow-covered ravine six months after she went missing, according to Grenoble prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat.

Police were led to the remote site by chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, who was arrested and charged after her disappearance but had repeatedly denied wrongdoing. He was a guest at the same wedding in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, near the French mountain city of Chambery.

Lelandais decided to come clean on Wednesday after investigators found traces of the girl's blood in the boot of Lelandais's car, the prosecutor told reporters. Lelandais told investigators that he killed her accidentally, hid the body near his house and then returned to the wedding party.

He later dumped the child's body in the remote ravine. His lawyer said Lelandais had let children at the wedding party look at dogs he had in his car.

After Maelys went missing, police questioned more than 200 potential witnesses, and hundreds of volunteers helped search the area for days. Police dogs found the girl's scent but lost it in the wedding hall car park, suggesting she may have been forced into a vehicle or got into one voluntarily.

In his confession, Lelandais did not explain the circumstances of the girl's death, the prosecutor said.

Afterwards, the prosecutor said, Lelandais apologised to the girl and her parents. His lawyer Alain Jakubowicz described surprise at hearing Lelandais's confession of Maelys's "accidental death", but did not give further details about what happened.

The lawyer said he was dropping his request for Lelandais's release. "I'm a father. Nothing worse can happen to you as a parent," he said, choking up. </s> A former military dog trainer confessed Wednesday to "unintentionally" killing a 9-year-old girl whose disappearance from a wedding party in the Alps last year prompted nationwide concern and months of fruitless searching.

Investigators at last found Maelys De Araujo's skull and some other remains Wednesday in a snow-covered ravine six months after she went missing, according to Grenoble Prosecutor Jean-Yves Coquillat.

Police were led to the remote site by chief suspect Nordahl Lelandais, who was arrested and charged after her disappearance but repeatedly had denied wrongdoing. He was a guest at the same wedding in Pont-de-Beauvoisin, near the French mountain city of Chambery.

Lelandais decided to come clean Wednesday after investigators found traces of the girl's blood in the trunk of Lelandais' car, the prosecutor told reporters.

Lelandais told investigators that he killed her accidentally, hid the body near his house and then returned to the wedding party. He later dumped the child's body in the remote ravine.

His lawyer said Lelandais had let children at the wedding party look at dogs he had in his car.

After Maelys went missing, police questioned more than 200 potential witnesses, and hundreds of volunteers helped search the area for days. Police dogs found the girl's scent but lost it in the wedding hall parking lot, suggesting she may have been forced into a vehicle or gotten into one voluntarily.

In his confession, Lelandais did not explain the circumstances of the girl's death, the prosecutor said.

"Lelandais asked investigation judges to question him today, because he had revelations to make," the prosecutor said. Afterward, the prosecutor said, Lelandais apologized to the girl and her parents.

His lawyer Alain Jakubowicz described surprise at hearing Lelandais' confession of Maelys' "accidental death," but did not give further details about what happened. The lawyer said he was dropping his request for Lelandais' release.

"I'm a father. Nothing worse can happen to you as a parent," he said, choking up.

Lelandais is also now suspected of killing a soldier months before in the same region. </s> Thousands of protesters have rallied in Romania against authorities for their slow response to a teenager's kidnapping and murder. The 15-year-old girl called emergency services more than 100 times, saying she had been kidnapped by a man while hitchhiking home. She was found dead in the home of her suspected captor after authorities took almost 20 hours to locate her. The country's top police officer and two other officials have since been fired over the handling of the case. Image: AP

The kidnapping and murder of 15-year-old teenage girl Alexandra Macesanu has stunned Romania and the rest of the world.

But the story has taken an unusual twist, with Romania’s Prime Minister being forced to axe her education minister for making “deeply wrong” comments about the murder case.

Macesanu, 15, was kidnapped west of the capital in Bucharest last Wednesday.

Romania’s Education Minister Ecaterina Andronescu said on TV she was taught “not to get in cars with strangers”.

Despite trying to backtrack and defend her comments, saying she wasn’t trying to blame the teen girl or her family, Prime Minister Viorica Dancila said her comments showed a “lack of understanding”.

Ms Dancila wrote in a Facebook post that they were irresponsible.

The case of the 15-year-old who was abducted while trying to hitchhike home has shaken the country and led to several high-level resignations after a public outcry.

Although Macesanu managed to call emergency services three times and give clues as to her location, it took police almost 19 hours to intervene.

The slow response sparked huge protests against the authorities’ handling of the case, with thousands of demonstrators taking to the streets of Bucharest last weekend.

The sacking comes as the DNA of the missing Romanian teenage girl whose case has sparked massive protests has been found in calcinated human remains at the suspect’s home, confirming her death.

“Laboratory analysis done until now revealed the genetic profile of one person, Alexandra Macesanu”, the prosecutor’s office for organised crime said in a statement.

The suspect is Gheorghe Dinca, a 65-year-old man who was arrested.

He confessed to killing the teenage girl but also a second girl, Luiza, 18, who had gone missing in April.

The suspect accompanied the police to his house on Friday in search of evidence.

The search was to continue on Saturday.

Prosecutors have found blood stains and bones in Dinca’s house.

There has been a major political fallout from the case, with four high-ranking officials being sacked or resigning in the past week.

In Caracal, a southern town of almost 30,000 inhabitants, locals said the case has shattered what little trust they had in the police and made fear part of their daily lives. </s> SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Investigators began searching for human remains Friday on a tract of South Carolina land near where a missing woman was found "chained up like a dog" in a large storage container.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright told reporters that authorities planned to excavate the area after cadaver dogs signaled the possible presence of remains.

The missing woman was found Thursday inside a container measuring about 30 feet by 15 feet. The sheriff said she told him the bodies of other women could be buried on the land owned by Todd Christopher Kohlhepp.

Kohlhepp, a 45-year-old registered sex offender with a previous kidnapping conviction, has been arrested and charged with kidnapping. He was scheduled for a bond hearing Friday in Spartanburg.

The woman's boyfriend, 32-year-old Charles Carver, is still missing after the couple disappeared in late August.

Acting on a tip, deputies found the woman after hearing her banging inside the container in Woodruff, 80 miles northwest of the state capital of Columbia, the sheriff said.

The woman, who had worked for Kohlhepp, had a chain around her neck, Wright said. She told deputies she had been kept in the container for two months and had been fed regularly.

Anderson Police Chief Jim Stewart said his department's investigation into the couple's disappearance led authorities to the property near Woodruff.

"We got computer and cellphone records that ultimately led us to the area in Woodruff," Stewart said. "We knew that was the last place that a cellphone tied to this case pinged."

Records indicate Kohlhepp is a licensed real estate agent and licensed pilot. As a teenager, he was convicted and sentenced to prison in Arizona for kidnapping and dangerous crimes against children.

Referring to the possibility of other victims, the sheriff said: "We're trying to make sure that we don't have a serial killer on our hands."
The remains of Maëlys de Araujo, a nine-year-old girl who disappeared from a wedding in France in August 2017, are found after suspect Nordahl Lelandais guides investigators to the site.