CHIBA (TR) – Chiba Prefectural Police revealed that the Vietnamese girl, 9, whose nude body was found over the weekend near a canal in Abiko City likely died due to suffocation, reports Nippon News Network (Mar. 28).
The results of an autopsy revealed that Le Thi Nhat Linh, a third-year elementary school student from Matsudo City, likely died due to suffocation caused by strangulation. She also had small injuries on her arms and legs.
At around 6:45 a.m. on Sunday, a fisherman found her nude body in grass near the canal, located in the Kitashinden area. Police arriving at the scene confirmed her dead.
Police suspect that Le was killed in a location other than where her body was found due to a lack of signs of a struggle. The location of the discovery is about 12 kilometers from her residence. Police have not found clothes or personal items in the area around the canal or elsewhere.
Le had been missing since Friday, when she failed to arrive at school. Police are checking security camera footage to learn whether she was abducted on her way to school.