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France to Resume Rouvray Dig Linked to Serial Killer Émile Louis on May 18

The move answers strong pressure from victims' families seeking progress after years of scant finds following a fatal pause.

Overview

  • The Auxerre prosecutor scheduled a new two‑week excavation at the Bois de Rouvray site, with teams set to return later in May.
  • Investigators halted the last operation in May 2025 after a gendarme died on site when a construction machine struck him.
  • Families pushed hard for the restart, and their lawyer said he expects new discoveries even as officials keep expectations in check.
  • Only two of the seven women Louis murdered have been recovered from the area, and a skull found in 2018 could belong to an eighth victim.
  • Earlier searches turned up a heel sole, pieces of textile, two shoes and an older bicycle, finds the prosecutor treated with caution about their value to the case.