Russian authorities have initiated a large-scale manhunt following the horrific discovery of a young boy's severed head inside a backpack that had been thrown into a Moscow lake.
The Gruesome Discovery
The grim find was made early today by workers at Golyanovsky Pond, located approximately eight miles northwest of the Kremlin. They spotted a backpack concealed within a red coloured plastic bag and immediately alerted law enforcement.
Upon examination, police made the disturbing discovery of the decapitated head of a schoolboy, believed to be aged between seven and ten years old. The child has not yet been formally identified.
Investigation and Cause of Death
Initial reports from law enforcement sources indicate the boy was likely strangled and then beheaded. According to the Russian news site Baza, marks and bruises found on the child's neck suggest he was forcibly strangled.
The preliminary cause of death is currently listed as asphyxia. It is believed the tragic murder occurred approximately two days ago.
A major search of the lake involving divers was swiftly launched, but no further human remains were discovered during the operation.
Hunt for the Suspect
Police are now urgently reviewing security camera footage from the area as part of their investigation. Authorities have described a potential suspect they wish to question.
The individual is said to be a man around 5ft 11in tall with a medium build. He was reportedly seen two days ago throwing a bag into the pond.
This devastating case emerges shortly after another tragic child death in Italy, where two-year-old Leonardo Ricci died at a nursery after his sweatshirt became tangled in a tree.
