Belgian man arrested for killing mother, throws fridge with her limbs in canal

Belgium: A 30-year-old man has been charged and imprisoned in Belgium after confessing to the murder of his mother. The mother’s body was found dismembered and discarded into a side channel of the river Meuse near Liège, as per the Walloon city’s prosecution.

Authorities found two arms and two legs inside a refrigerator. Subsequently, they also located the victim’s trunk and head in another container, which the suspect had disposed of in the canal.

The woman’s identity was established through various clues, including her nails, jewelry, and a tattoo on her trunk, confirmed by Catherine Collignon, the spokesperson for the prosecution.

Following the discovery, the suspect was apprehended at a hotel in Zaventem while attempting to flee to South Korea. After being questioned by the police, he confessed to the crime before being presented to an examining magistrate on Friday. He was placed in pre-trial detention after being formally charged.

According to reports, the murder took place on July 10, with the suspect allegedly strangling his mother and subsequently dismembering her body. The incident occurred in Seraing, in the Liege region, where the victim lived with her two children and granddaughter.

Investigations indicated that the mother and son had been engaging in frequent arguments since the son’s return to live with her after the Covid-19 pandemic.

The case came to the attention of the police through an anonymous tip from a person suspected to be intoxicated. The caller claimed to have learned about the murder, dismemberment, and storage of body parts in a refrigerator.

Police searched the residence based on this information but found no evidence at the time, as neighbours reported that the woman was on vacation. However, when the body parts were later discovered, the link was established with the previous phone call.