Police are searching for other body parts after discovering a torso wrapped in plastic in a nature reserve, it is understood.
Police anticipate that a post-mortem examination will aid in the victim’s identification. However, since the entire corpse has not been located, authorities do not anticipate that the study would provide a cause of death.
At the moment the gender and age of the person are unknown, although police believe it was an adult, and there are no identifying marks on the remains.
Police believe the remains had been there for between 24 and 36 hours before being found.
Chief Superintendent Tony Creely told a press conference on Friday: “We do not know the identity of the person or whether they’re male or female. We do know, though, that these remains are human, and they would not be possible for them to have survived.
“From forensic inquiry so far, we believe that these remains are likely to have been here for a matter of days. It really is a tragic case.
“Our priority now is establishing who this person is, and ensuring that we carry out a diligent and respectful investigation on behalf of that person and their family, whoever they may be.”
He said the force’s forensic teams and detectives will be in the area “for some time”.
We’re talking to everyone who might know even the tiniest piece of information, including nearby residents, dog walkers, bystanders, and anybody else. We need to solve this case, so we implore anyone with any information to get in touch with the police right away.
According to its website, the mostly wooded nature reserve is located north of Manchester’s downtown and covers an area of about 32 hectares in the countryside.
