In the early hours of Thursday, 5 June, a woman’s body was discovered at a hiking parking area along the L151 road that runs between the towns of Hermeskeil and Nonnweiler in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.

The Trier police headquarters confirmed to volksfreund.de that around 5.30am, a report came in of an injured young woman in a wooded area nearby. A passer-by happened to come across the scene and promptly informed the police.

When emergency medical services and a doctor arrived, they could only confirm the death of the 28-year-old woman. She is believed to have been living in the local area.

At this stage, no additional details about the circumstances or the victim have been made public.

The police, with assistance from the Hermeskeil fire department, erected a privacy screen around the entire parking lot to secure the site. Forensic officers from the Trier criminal investigation unit commenced their work on what is considered the likely crime scene.

The forensic examination continued until approximately 11.30am, with the site being reopened at around noon.

During the investigation, officers collected several items nearby, including a wallet, a handbag, and cushions.