13-Year-Old Boy's Headless Body Found Chopped Into Pieces, Half Eaten Inside A Bag In French Villa

The gruesome remains of a 13-year-old boy was reportedly found decapitated, chopped into pieces, dismembered, and half-eaten inside a bag at a French villa in Tarascon, near Marseille on Sunday, July 18.

The body, identified as Romain, 13, was retrieved after neighbors called the police on Sunday, July 18, complaining of ''a terrible smell'' coming from a terraced house. When a cleaner finally visited the home, she found Romain’s body parts, including his partially-eaten head, stuffed inside a bag, the Sun reported.

Law enforcment immediately rushed to the villa and discovered the decapitated body, partially eaten, inside a bag, along with seemingly satanic objects. The teenager's arms and head had reportedly been sawn off, and the decapitated head was found inside a nearby bucket, also half-eaten, according to The Daily Mail.

An investigation has been launched to nab the culprit. A few hours into the manhunt, investigators reportedly located an occupant of the residence, referred to as Arthur A, 32, a notoriously violent man known for mental health problems, in the city center of Arles.

Arthur was earlier spotted by the neighbors trying to escape through the house's roof. The neighbors revealed that he was released from a mental hospital earlier this month. When he was confronted by authorities, Arthur reportedly attempted to flee the scene, leading to him being shot dead by armed officers.

Romain was said to be in the area while traveling from his foster home in Marseille to visit his mother. His mother lived in the same street where he was murdered. The victim reportedly spent most of his life in and out of foster families and homes. Romain was also a huge fan of the Olympic Marseille football club, and Jul, a rapper from the Mediterranean city, according to The Daily Star.

Romain’s body was so badly mutilated that it could only be identified by DNA, Laurent Gumbau, the Tarascon prosecutor said.

''We went into the bathroom,'' an unnamed 29-year-old housekeeper said.

''Romain was beheaded and his upper body wrapped in plastic. I don't know how you can do that to a child. It's inhuman. Arthur seemed totally normal," the housekeeper added.

Two investigations are currently underway. One investigation is regarding Romain's death and the second is on the suspect's shooting, carried out by the General Inspectorate of the National Police (IGPN).