This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/oct/06/alice-gross-suspect-body-postmortem

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
Alice Gross murder: police confirm body found in London park was Zalkalns Alice Gross murder: police confirm body found in London park was Zalkalns
(about 2 hours later)
The body found in woodland by officers investigating the murder of teenager Alice Gross was that of prime suspect Arnis Zalkalns, police have confirmed. A body found in woodland by officers investigating the murder of teenager Alice Gross was that of prime suspect Arnis Zalkalns, police have confirmed.
Scotland Yard said a postmortem showed that he hanged himself.Scotland Yard said a postmortem showed that he hanged himself.
Police focused their attention on Zalkalns, who was convicted of murdering his wife in their home country of Latvia, after CCTV footage showed him cycling on the same route as Alice Gross was walking.Police focused their attention on Zalkalns, who was convicted of murdering his wife in their home country of Latvia, after CCTV footage showed him cycling on the same route as Alice Gross was walking.
His body was discovered on Saturday 4 October in a “densely overgrown area” of Boston Manor park in west London. His body was discovered on Saturday in a “densely overgrown area” in a park in west London, near to the river Brent, where Alice’s body was found on 30 September.
“The postmortem examination of the body found in Boston Manor park on Saturday 4 October has concluded. Formal identification has confirmed the body is that of Arnis Zalkalns, 41, of Ealing,” said a Metropolitan Police statement. “The postmortem examination of the body found in Boston Manor park on Saturday 4 October has concluded. Formal identification has confirmed the body is that of Arnis Zalkalns, 41, of Ealing,” said a Metropolitan police statement.
“The cause of death is consistent with hanging. There is no evidence of any third party involvement from the postmortem,” it added. “The cause of death is consistent with hanging. There is no evidence of any third-party involvement from the postmortem,” it added.
Alice Gross was reported missing on 28 August and police began a series of searches that they said eventually covered nearly 34 sq km (13 sq miles) of canals, rivers and land.
The bodies of both victim and suspect were found near to where Alice was last seen after an extensive first round of searches produced no results. The failure to find either during initial searches led some to criticise the police operation.
But, in a statement released on Monday night, Scotland Yard said: “The searches considered all possible evidential opportunities, based upon the search strategy agreed as part of the investigation.”
The Metropolitan police said the search for Alice was “one of the most complex” undertaken in recent times.
Officers said that initial, visual searches highlighted areas of continuing interest that were too densely wooded to properly explore.
“The densely overgrown area where Arnis Zalkalns was discovered was one of these areas. This area had not been searched by police previously,” the statement said.