Body Found in Suitcase in Australia Leads Police to an Unusual Discovery

New South Wales police in Australia believed they had a homicide on their hands after they received a call about a body being located on the side of the road last week. After traveling to the area, per The Guardian, they discovered what indeed appeared to be a body stuffed into a suitcase.

Police released a statement to the media on the matter that evening, stating the body was believed to be female, but the next day something odd happened. According to Nine.com, Superintendent Linda Bradbury said that the police actually did not “have a suspicious death of a human on our hands.”

In a written follow-up statement, the police explained that the so-called body had led them to an unusual discovery. “Following forensic examinations this morning, police confirmed the item located in the bag was a life-like doll, wearing clothing, with hair and a nose piercing. The item also had markings that resembled bruises and grazes,” the statement read, according to The Guardian.

How a Doll Was Mistaken for a Person

Now that the world is aware no body was found, the fact that a doll was mistaken for a person is, as former New South Wales police officer Vincent Hurley put it, per The Guardian, “amusing in hindsight.” However, for those wondering just how a doll could be misconstrued as a human, Hurley explained, “They did the right thing – it’s embarrassing, yes, but they followed procedure.”

Generally, when police approach a potential crime scene, they try not to disturb the area too much to keep evidence intact. In this case, it could have meant the suitcase wasn’t fully opened at the scene to preserve any possible blood or fibers on the zipper. With only a glance inside, it would be easy to mistake a life-like doll as human.

Additionally, inclement weather was partially to blame, as bad weather can have police working more quickly to save any evidence that might be around. Hurley pointed out to The Guardian, real homicide victims are sometimes found in enclosed spaces, such as suitcases. He said, “It’s not unusual to be in a suitcase, it’s just unusual that it turned out to be a plastic doll.”

No Crime Actually Committed

The police investigation likely didn’t stop when they found that the alleged body was actually a doll. Chances are good that police continued following proper procedure, with forensic investigators examining the item to ensure it wasn’t associated with any other open cases.

Murdoch University forensic science associate professor, Paola Magni, explained to The Guardian, “It’s a doll, but if it’s connected to another crime, they can use that opportunity to link it to something suspect.”

However, it seems that no crime was actually committed regarding the doll, so police have officially closed the investigation. According to Superintendent Bradbury, the police had “no regrets” over how the situation was handled.

According to The Guardian, she stated during the press conference, “Our police have undertaken the processes that we do to maintain integrity in such serious crime to a T, and I do commend people for that.”

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]