Taninges ski deaths: First picture of mum 'who killed her three kids before going on the run'

The Bonneville public prosecutor's office is investigating the deaths of three young children at their home in Taninges, Haute-Savoie, who were found with stab wounds

Police have released the first picture of a mum who was found dead after she allegedly killed her three children before going on the run.

Deborah Pel, 45, is considered a key suspect in the killings of her three children, a 13-year-old girl and her two brothers, aged 11 and two, at their home in Taninges, Haute-Savoie, a small commune tucked into the French Alps. The children's horrified grandparents were left to discover the bodies while visiting the property at 1pm on Tuesday afternoon.

French media has now reported that she has since been found dead in Switzerland, not long after French police launched a massive search operation in a bid to find her. Officers, helicopters and driving squads were deployed to seek the woman before her body was discovered in Switzerland.

Local publication Dauphiné Libéré reported that investigators came to understand that the mum held French-Swiss dual citizenship, and asked authorities from the neighbouring nation to assist in their search. They flagged her car as it passed through its borders today, and were eventually able to track her down.

The paper cited "several concordant sources" she was found dead, with the Bonneville public prosecutor's office set to make a public statement at a later time as it takes over the investigation. Police are currently interviewing the family's relatives, with reports claiming the mum and her partner - who have not been named - were part of a blended family.

Pel was the mother of all three children, the eldest of whom were from a previous relationship, and the youngest of whom she had with her partner. She was reportedly a teacher, and had been working in Marnaz, in the Arve Valley, since the start of the new school year, after transferring from the Adelin-Malgrand school in Samoëns.

Le Dauphiné reports that she was transferred last year after parents put together a petition and submitted reports complaining about her conduct with pupils. Among the complaints, the publication said, were reports that she had behaved particularly severely with the children.

According to local media reports, she had suffered from depression, and had trained for 30 years as a flautist who was heavily involved in the local community. She was notably a member of the Samoëns municipal harmony, and served as the treasurer of the town's music school. She reportedly received an award for her dedicated to music in 2022.

Her children were discovered at her home in Taninges by their grandparents with stab wounds. Pel is believed to have crossed the canton of Geneva following their deaths.