French authorities do DNA test to identify body chopped in half
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STRASBOURG, France - French investigators trying to solve a grisly murder case involving a body chopped in half said on Nov 4 that a Frenchwoman linked to the suspected victim had been arrested in Switzerland.
A DNA test was being carried out to identify the man killed, whose body was found on Nov 1 on a river bank in eastern France dressed only in underwear, cut in half at the waist, and covered in a white substance, according to local prosecutor Arnaud Grecourt.
It was believed the victim was a 75-year-old Swiss man who resided in the village of Sainte-Croix, next to the border with France, and who was declared missing since Oct 31.
The arrested Frenchwoman, in her thirties, was believed to be the Swiss man’s tenant, a source close to the investigation told AFP, confirming a report first given by the news outlet RTL.
She was taken into custody by Swiss police and has denied involvement in the murder, RTL reported.
The body was found in the French village of Fedry, located 100km from Sainte-Croix.
It had a burn mark and several wounds, and an autopsy determined that death was likely caused by bleeding and that the body was cut up afterwards.
“Cuts to the hands suggest defensive wounds. Several of the wounds are consistent with those from a cutting implement,” Mr Grecourt said in a statement.
“Death appears to have been recent, dating to less than 24 hours before the discovery of the body,” he said. AFP
