A decapitated head has been found in a park in Paris.
Various body parts belonging to a woman, including the head, were tracked down by police and park staff, who joined in the search around 11am local time (10am GMT) today February 14.
The head was found in a remote wooded area popular with families and joggers in the Buttes-Chaumont Park, one of the French capital’s largest green spaces towards the northeast of the city.
According to The Parisien, the lower torso area of a woman – from below the chest to her knees – was also found blood-soaked in a bag along with the head today under a pile of foliage.
A source said: “Obviously, the body was cut dressed.
“The corpse was not in a state of putrefaction, which seems to attest to a recent death.”
The victim hasn’t been identified, but the Parisien reported she was dressed in blue jeans with a flower pattern decorating the thigh area.
A police source said she is believed to be “North African” or “European”.
Sources claim the head and torso were found in a remote area of the park generally used by employees and located near a disused railway line, although this has not been officially confirmed.
The body parts were discovered after a search was opened when an initial body part – a piece of a woman’s pelvic area according to sources close to the case – was found in a plastic bag by park workers last night (February 13).
Police have now opened a murder inquiry and the park has been closed off according to Franois Dagnaud, mayor of the 19th arrondissement where the discovery was made.
A major search operation is underway in the space and a diving team has also been called in to search the lake in the park.
Buttes-Chaumont Park is the fifth-largest park in the French capital, spanning 24.7 hectares (61 acres).
