Autopsy on corpse found in Birżebbuġa: no foul play suspected

No foul play is being suspected in the death of a man whose heavily decomposed corpse was found in Birżebbuġa, in the vicinity of a wedding hall, opposite Għar Dalam.

Police said the victim has not yet been identified, and investigators are expecting more information from the DNA tests in a bid to confirm the man’s identity within the next days.

The unidentified body was discovered at around 6:30pm with sources saying that identification will only be possible after the autopsy.

Photo: Malta Police Force

In an official statement, the police said that it received an anonymous report at the Żejtun police station saying that there was a dead body under a tree at the location.

A magisterial inquiry is underway, presided by Magistrate Gabriella Vella. Meanwhile the Major Crimes Unit, District Police and officials from the police force's forensic laboratory are continuing their investigations. 

"An autopsy on the cadaver should shed more light on the case, as will DNA tests, which will help confirm the identity of the man," the police statement reads.

The gruesome discovery comes more than two weeks after an elderly man suffering from dementia went missing from St Vincent de Paul residence in Luqa.

Over the past weeks, the police had also been searching for another elderly man who went missing from Żejtun.