The main suspect in the Lyhanna case was charged on Tuesday with rape and murder of the 11-year-old schoolgirl.
Jérôme Barella, 41, was charged on Tuesday with the rape and murder of Lyhanna. He had previously been pursued only for abduction and sequestration of a minor. The suspect now faces life imprisonment.
Barella was arrested the day after the girl's disappearance on 29 May in Fleurance in the Gers. Her body was found on 4 June in a silo in Puycasquier.
On 24 June, after the autopsy conclusions revealing rape and injuries, the Agen prosecutor had broadened the charges. Objects were seized during a search on 6 July at his home in Montestruc-sur-Gers.
