Prek Pnov district police are searching for the head of a murder victim who was found with his hands tied behind his back and his head decapitated on Monday.

Prek Pnov district police chief Chin Kimthuy said on Wednesday that a fisherman discovered the body and reported it to police.

“I don’t know the identity of the victim because the body was decomposed and missing the head,” he said.

He said after an autopsy on the body was carried out, he was informed that the victim was a male and had been dead for about a month.

Kimthuy said he is also unsure of the victim’s age and that police are continuing to investigate to identify the victim and come up with a suspect.

Norng Sovannroath, who performed the autopsy, said he could ascertain the victim’s sex as the male organ was intact despite having started to decompose.

He said the victim’s age and identity could be determined through dental records once the head is found.

However, he estimated the victim to be between 20 and 40 years old. “I conducted an autopsy on January 28 and a second one too which revealed the victim died from beheading.

Kimthuy said the fisherman who discovered the body noticed a foul smell in the air while fishing at a lake in Prek Pnov district.

Upon inspecting a plastic bag, he found a body inside and then notified police.