The workers of a man who purchased a mansion that was abandoned for three decades discovered the remains of a father who has been missing since 1970.
30-year-old corpse
The new owner of the mansion in Paris began renovation work in January and was shocked to find the corpse that had been lying there since the resident was abandoned.
According to AllThatsInteresting, a murder investigation has been initiated to look into the cause of death of the man whose broken bones were seen to have knife cuts etched into them.
The possibility of murder is made even more mysterious, given the mansion's history. The residence was only a few minutes away from the home of the country's prime minister, Les Invalides, and sits adjacent to the former house of fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent.
The mansion is located in 12 rue Oudinot, and its walls are covered with ivy sprout. It has a previously beautiful garden that has now been ravaged by weeds. In January, the resident was sold for $41 million. The auction for the property lasted no more than 15 minutes, where a discrete Dutch company reaped nearly six times the value of the reserve price.
While the mansion was famous as the last significant property in the most popular neighborhood of the capital, the new owner, Paris citizens, and police officers have to face the fact that a skeleton was hiding in its quarters.
Vice Président Sabine Lebreton of the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Site de la Rue Oudinot, said that historically, the mansion was an essential piece of architecture where many famous people lived at some point in time, as reported by CNN.
Lebreton added that the residence had a beautiful and rich environment where one can imagine the activities and festivities held there. She notes the mansion exhumed the aura of beauty from another century.
Potential murder scene
Reportedly, a prosecutor's office in Paris opened a preliminary murder investigation after workers found the human remains in the basement of the mansion. Officials revealed that the body was found on February 26 and that authorities ordered the criminal unit to be in charge of the case.
Bruno Picard, who was the lawyer in charge of the resident's auction, said they found the human remains in an area of the mansion was not visited by the bailiff who made the discovery report or anyone else.
Picard revealed a police officer sent him an email, which he assisted on his website. The lawyer then disclosed everything he knew to law enforcement during their conversation.
Allegedly, the body had remained inside the mansion for 30 years since it was abandoned, although Picard states the time the remains were hidden would not affect the investigation.
The workers allegedly found the man's corpse hidden under a pile of planks and rubble in one of several basements of the massive property. The victim was quickly identified after authorities found identification papers on the dead body's person.
