Suspect arrested in murder case of 8-year old Leipzig schoolgirl

Suspect arrested in murder case of 8-year old Leipzig schoolgirl Berlin - German police arrested Monday a teenager in the city of Leipzig in connection with the murder of an eight-year-old girl more than six months ago.

A 19-year-old man living in the neighbourhood of the murdered girl had been apprehended, police told the daily Leipziger Volkszeitung. They declined to say whether he had confessed to the crime.

The eight-year-old girl, Michelle, had disappeared on her way home after playing with friends on August 18. Three days later, her body was found in a pond.

The police have not released information about the circumstances of Michelle's death, nor whether she had been sexually abused.

For months, police investigations had given no clues to the identity of Michelle's murderer. Despite DNA-sampling neighbours and questioning more than 1,000 people, the police were unable to track down any clues and had failed to locate the girl's pink bag and jacket.

The police have not yet explained what led them to Monday's arrest. A street in the immediate neighbourhood to Michelle's home was cordoned off Monday morning, when a building located just a few metres from her house was searched. (dpa)

General: 
Regions: