UK Police Find Suspect's Body in Hunt for Schoolgirl's Killer

W460

A body found in a London woodland is that of the Latvian prime suspect in the murder of schoolgirl Alice Gross, British police said on Monday.

Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns, 41, was named as the main suspect in the murder of 14-year-old Gross after he went missing six days following her disappearance in August.

On Monday police said a body discovered over the weekend in a wooded area of a park in west London had been formally identified as Zalkalns.

"The cause of death is consistent with hanging. There is no evidence of any third party involvement from the post-mortem," police said in a statement. Inquiries into the case are continuing.

The disappearance of Gross launched the biggest search operation since 2005 London suicide bomb attacks killed 52 people in the capital.

The teenager's body was found in a river in London last week, close to where she had last been seen walking on a canal towpath. Zalkalns had been cycling behind her.

The events sparked debate about immigration laws after revelations Zalkalns served seven years in prison in Latvia for stabbing his wife to death, before moving to Britain in 2007.

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