The charred body of a woman was discovered in a forest near Marseille.

A gruesome discovery was made in a forest near Allauch, east of Marseille, where the completely charred body of a woman was found near a forest track. The Marseille public prosecutor's office has opened a murder investigation and entrusted the case to the Organized and Specialized Crime Division (DCOS).

According to initial findings, the body was still burning when emergency services arrived Tuesday evening after a witness reported seeing a large amount of black smoke in the wooded area, which is rarely frequented in the evening. The victim had not yet been identified at the time of the initial investigation.

A scene that greatly intrigues investigators

The investigation is focusing in particular on the circumstances of the victim's presence in this difficult-to-access area, closed to general traffic by a forest barrier. According to several sources reported in the local press, a piece of fabric was also found near the body's mouth, an element that is particularly intriguing to investigators.

An autopsy will determine the exact cause of death and the victim's identity. Detectives from the criminal investigation unit are continuing their inquiries into this case, which has revived memories in Marseille of murders followed by arson, sometimes referred to locally as the "barbecue method."