Two suspects have been arrested after multiple bodies were discovered in the River Seine near Paris.
The arrests follow the grim discovery on Aug. 13, when a passerby spotted bodies in the water in the southeastern suburb of Choisy-le-Roi and alerted authorities, according to BBC News and local outlets Le Monde and Le Parisien.
Police responding to the scene recovered the body of a 40-year-old man from the neighboring town of Créteil, though he has not been identified, per BBC News and Le Parisien. A subsequent search uncovered three more bodies nearby, the outlets reported.
According to the Créteil prosecutor’s office, cited by Le Parisien, the additional victims were believed to be three adult men. Two appeared to be in their twenties and of North African origin.
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As reported by Le Monde, officials said the first body discovered was “relatively well-preserved,” suggesting it had not been in the water for long, while the other three were in an “advanced state of decomposition.” Investigators also noted that two of the bodies showed clear signs of violence — one with evidence of strangulation and another with additional injuries — prompting authorities to open a murder investigation.
The Créteil prosecutor’s office confirmed to Le Monde and Le Parisien that on Aug. 20, police arrested a 24-year-old suspect born in Algeria in connection with the killings.
“A man was taken into custody this morning on suspicion for multiple murders at the headquarters of the criminal brigade of the Paris judicial police,” the prosecutor’s office told Le Monde in a statement.
Due to the severity of the charges — classified under France’s designation for serial crimes — investigators are authorized to question the suspect for up to 96 hours, per Le Monde and Le Parisien.
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A second suspect, reportedly linked to the same social circle as the first, was taken into custody on Aug. 21, according to Le Parisien. Authorities have not yet released additional details about this individual.
Prosecutors told BBC News that early findings suggest no apparent connection between the victims. Officials believe the bodies may have entered the river at different points before currents carried them to the area near the Choisy bridge.
