While the French authorities are investigating the case, their Swiss counterparts have been asked for information
Keystone
The body of an 81-year-old Swiss citizen has been found in a field on the Swiss-French border. His head was next to his body. The investigating authorities are not ruling anything out.
This content was published on
1 minute
AFP/ts
A municipal worker responsible for clearing the area discovered the decapitated man on Wednesday at the bottom of a ditch in the French municipality of Ferney-Voltaire, which borders Geneva.
External Content
“He had definitely been there a while – the body was in an advanced state of putrefaction, partially mummified,” the public prosecutor told the AFP news agency. “The head was found next to the body but we’re not excluding the possibility that it was the work of an animal.”
A notable detail was that the man was missing both his trousers and underwear. The prosecutor thought it was possible that, given his age, the isolated location and the fact that he had money on him, the man was relieving himself when he had a medical problem.
The deceased, identified from identity papers found among his clothes, had been missing since June 2.
The remains have been sent to a morgue in Lyon to try to determine the cause of death. The Swiss authorities have also been asked for information about the man.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss oddities
Mennonite movement turns 500 in Zurich, where it all began
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.