Body parts had been lying in the water in the Marchfeld Canal for a long time

The body parts that were found in Vienna’s Marchfeld Canal had been in the water for a long time.

Police spokeswoman Julia Schick spoke of “weeks or even months”. Investigators remained extremely tight-lipped on Friday. There was neither information about a possible identity (identification cards were said to have been found on the dead man) nor further details about the cause of death. The police do not want to reveal any knowledge of the perpetrators, said Schick.

The man died from blunt force trauma to the body. There was no further information, such as a possible murder weapon. The man was then dismembered and thrown into the Marchfeld Canal. Last Saturday, an angler pulled his foot out of the water and alerted the police.

Since then, divers from the Cobra special unit in the water and officers from the police dog unit have been searching the area. The Cobra then found additional body parts during the dives. Medical examiners determined the man was killed. Since then, the investigation has been in full swing. A DNA report is expected to be available in the next few days, from which the police expect further clues.