Bodies of missing French family that disappeared last year found in Cambodia

Laurent Vallier and his children went missing from their home near last September 

Police in Cambodia believe they have found the bodies of a Frenchman and his four children who all went missing last year.

A number of bones and skulls recovered from a car found dumped in a pond behind Laurent Vallier's home 45 miles away from the capital Phnom Penh are believed to be those of the Frenchman and his offspring.

The 42-year-old, and his two sons and two daughters, disappeared from their home in Kompong Speu province in September and the French Embassy became involved in November.

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Remains: The skulls and bones of the Vallier family are gathered for the investigation

Destroyed: Officials clean a car to collect bones thought to be of Laurent Vallier and his children in Kompong Speu province

Mr Vallier’s father-in-law, 69-year-old Tith Chhuon, was at the scene yesterday and is believed to have identified his grandchildren as Johan, 11, Ramsey, 8, Sovan, 5, and Mickeal, 2.

He confirmed that the family had been missing since at least September 8, when he went to visit them, only to find that they were nowhere to be found.

He said: 'I filed a complaint with the French embassy and went to get information from the embassy six times. I just received the news on Saturday.'

'My son-in-law did not kill his kids and commit suicide. Someone killed them.'

The embassy said in a statement it had been informed of the discovery of the remains but that, 'because of the state of the corpses, it is impossible to confirm that these are the bodies of Monsieur Vallier and his children'.

Police said one skull had been found inside an open suitcase, having apparently floated in there after the car was submerged. 

In a statement, the French embassy said it had been informed of the discovery of the remains but that, 'because of the state of the corpses, it is impossible to confirm that these are the bodies of Monsieur Vallier and his children'.

Police said one skull had been found inside an open suitcase, having apparently floated in there after the car was submerged.

Relatives of Vallier's Cambodian wife, who died during childbirth, held a religious ceremony for the dead on Sunday.

Neighbours were shocked to learn of the grim discovery.            

'We just saw him taking his children to school every day and then they just disappeared. We thought they'd gone on holiday,' said Chuob Srey.    

Police would not comment further because of the preliminary stage of the inquiry. 

'We don't know whether this was a robbery or a murder. Just let our expert team work on it,' said district Police Chief Touch Heang.

Cordoned off: AtCambodian policeman stands near the vehicle in Kampong Speu province, some 45 kilometers west of Phnom Penh

Dumped: The car containing the bodies was found in this pond behind Laurent Vallier's former home

Mr Vallier married his wife in 2000 in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district before eventually settling in Kampong Speu in 2007.

However she died in October, 2010, during the delivery of their youngest boy, Mickeal leaving Laurent as the sole carer for the four.

According to local media, Mr Vallier worked as a tour guide, until his mysterious 

disappearance.

Victims: Laurent Vallier with three of his four children, whose bodies were all found in the pond

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