The investigation into the disappearance of a 28-year-old jogger in Vienne on Thursday shifted gears on Sunday toward more focussed operations after three days of extensive but fruitless searches, with all theories still being considered, according to a source close to the investigation.
Around 40 police officers were deployed on Sunday morning near Vivonne, 20 km south of Poitiers, where Agathe Hilairet, an experienced runner of slight build (1.65 m, 35 kg), has been missing since Thursday morning.
Divers from the Arcachon and La Rochelle gendarmerie units examined a pond, as reported by AFP journalists.
“All theories are being considered,” said the source close to the inquiry initiated for a “worrying disappearance.”
“We are looking into every possibility, including a criminal one… The breadth of theories is wide. The investigation work will ultimately guide us,” the source added. The missing woman, a trail runner covering distances of over 15 to 20 km each run, set off from her parents’ home in Vivonne on Thursday morning. Her father raised the alarm when she did not return, and her phone was unresponsive.
From Thursday to Saturday, a 100 km² area was scoured by about a hundred police officers, supported by military personnel, firefighters, civil protection agents, and members of the missing woman’s sports club, who are familiar with the forested area where she trained.
A call for witnesses yielded around 30 statements.
The missing woman’s phone was last located on Thursday afternoon, 10 km from Vivonne. By midday on Saturday, investigators had conducted around ten interviews with close associates and witnesses.
