Body found in burnt car in Slovakia: leads point to Czechia manhunt

In a forest near the Slovak town of Myjava, firefighters found a charred, headless body in a burnt-out car. According to broadcaster JOJ, the vehicle is a Škoda Fabia with Czech plates, and the trail may lead to a man wanted in Czechia.

Firefighters from Myjava were called to a fire shortly after 3 p.m. Once the flames were put out, they discovered a charred torso on the passenger seat. While inspecting the surroundings, the rescuers found a head about ten metres from the car.

Police called to the scene cordoned off the area, while forensic officers and technicians collected evidence. According to TV JOJ, a rope with a noose was hanging from a tree next to the burnt car. The cause of death and the exact course of events are not yet known, and the victim’s identity will be established only by a forensic examination.

Link to the manhunt in Czechia

Czech police launched a search for a 43-year-old man on Thursday, 15 October. He was suspected of attempted murder in the Uherské Hradiště district, where forensic officers have been working since the night from Wednesday to Thursday. Police initially did not disclose the location or other circumstances of the crime. Police spokeswoman Šárka Trnková warned when announcing the search that the man might be dangerous. In the afternoon, police called off the search.

According to earlier information from Czech police, the wanted man may have been travelling in a Škoda Fabia. But a match of model and country of registration does not confirm the identity of the person found. It has not yet been established whether the body belongs to the wanted man or to someone else.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz