Macabre murder

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32847, 22 February 1972, Page 19

Macabre murder

(prom HOWARD WILLIAMS) BRUSSELS.

International experts have been called in by Belgian police in an effort to find some essential clues to one of the most macabre murders the country has ever known. It all started when Pierre Decker found an abandoned suitcase on his doorstep in the early hours of the morning. The suitcase—-foreign-made and expensive —had a piece of string tied around it, but no identification tags.

When Mr Decker opened the case he found two legs; wrapped in polythene. At first, the police were certain of only two facts: the legs belonged to a woman and they had been amputated by somebody with very good knowledge of the human anatomy. But they could not be sure whether it was a case of murder or a prank by medical students—until an identical suitcase, also tied up with a piece of string, was found at the entrance of the Brussels office of Mr Jules Alardin. This suitcase contained the woman’s arms and body—all wrapped in polythene. S far, no clues have been found as to the woman’s identity and police are still searching for her head. No woman fitting her description — aged 30-40, about sft 6in tall and small feet —has been reported missing to the Belgian police. But the police are hopeful that the murderer may seek more publicity and give himself away. They are convinced that the only reason he left the two suitcases in places where they could be found was so that he could get publicity. Now that he has succeeded in getting that publicity, police feel he will seek even more and give himself away.