'Body in suitcase' found in Australia turns out to be lifelike doll - BBC News

Forensics revealed that the "realistic" looking body was in fact not human.

Image source, ABC NewsImage caption, Forensic testing revealed that what police initially thought was a woman's body was actually a lifelike doll

Australian police called in to investigate a body found in a suitcase have concluded that the "victim" was in fact a lifelike doll.

The suitcase was discovered by two men on the side of a road near the small village of Oallen, about 230km (143 miles) south-west of Sydney.

On Monday, police announced a murder investigation, sparking intense interest in the case but backtracked hours later, saying forensic testing had proved the contents were not human.

The contents in the suitcase were "mistaken for a human originally, so they are very realistic in terms of looking like human remains," said Supt Linda Bradbury from the Hume Police District.