Suspect arrested

Duisburg: Human head discovered in plastic bag

A human head has been discovered in a plastic bag on a grass verge in Duisburg. Police and the public prosecutor's office in the North Rhine-Westphalian city announced on Sunday that they are now investigating a 26-year-old man for murder in the case. 

The human head belonged to a 57-year-old man presumed to have been killed by them. However, the background to the crime is still unclear, they said.

Body found in apartment
According to the investigators, a witness found the bag containing the "remains of a human head" on Saturday in the Obermarxloh district and alerted the police. The officers discovered the body during a search of a nearby apartment.

Further investigations then led to the identification of the suspect. He was arrested on Saturday and was remanded in custody on Sunday on the basis of a court order.

Background still unclear
A coroner's autopsy revealed that the 57-year-old died as a result of a violent crime. The police and public prosecutor's office did not initially provide any further details about the alleged incident or about the victim and suspect on Sunday. It also remained unclear when the man was killed.