Italian authorities discovered the body of a 44-year-old German woman near Florence. The corpse, found without a head, was located in an abandoned area in the municipality of Scandicci. Passersby spotted the body among trees near a deserted rural house in a zone recently associated with drug use and violence.
Reports indicate the victim had no fixed residence. The public prosecutor has launched a formal murder investigation, though details of the crime remain unclear.
Police later arrested a man of North African origin with a criminal record, suspected of involvement in the killing. Investigations continue to determine the motives and circumstances.
According to the Italian news agency ANSA, a dog was guarding the body when it was found, initially preventing officers from approaching until specialized teams intervened.
An autopsy has been ordered to establish the time of death and whether the decapitation occurred during or after the killing. It is also unclear whether the site where the body was found was the actual crime scene. Local reports mention a knife discovered near the corpse, now undergoing forensic examination.
Sources – Agencies
