Woman's body found outside Riga apartment block, suspected relative detained

A suspected killing has come to light in Riga's Jugla microdistrict, on Salamandras iela. Early in the morning, a passerby walking past an eight-story residential building noticed a woman's body lying near the wall of the structure. The discovery came as a shock even to neighbors living right next door, none of whom had noticed any sign that a crime had taken place in the building.

According to local residents, the victim was an 87-year-old woman who lived in the building's first stairwell entrance. One neighbor said the woman was found wearing only underwear, without trousers, and her face had a bluish tint.

Blood trail points to the sequence of events

State Police representative Vjačeslavs Gudovskis said that an inspection of the stairwell turned up blood traces leading from the victim's apartment to the elevator. This suggests the body was moved through the elevator after the woman was killed or injured, and was later left outside near the building.

When officers entered the woman's apartment, it was not empty — a man of pre-retirement age was found inside. Based on information gathered so far, the likely suspect is a close relative of the victim, roughly 30 years younger than her, who had been permanently living with her in the same apartment.

The investigation into the case is continuing as police work to establish the exact circumstances of the incident.