Murder Probe Opened After Body Found in Meuse at Sclessin
Belgian authorities have opened a murder investigation after the body of a man was discovered floating in the Meuse river at Sclessin, a district of Liège, on Tuesday morning. The Liège public prosecutor’s office confirmed the discovery on Wednesday, stating that an investigating judge has been seized of facts classified as murder, according to RTBF.
Discovery and Recovery
Emergency services were alerted late Tuesday morning to the presence of a lifeless body floating in the Meuse between Quai Vercour and Quai Louva in Sclessin. Firefighter frogmen were dispatched to the scene and recovered the body of a man from the water, which was then placed at Quai Louva.
The initial reporting came from L’Avenir, whose journalist Jean-Michel Crespin described the scene as “a discovery that is macabre to say the least.” Police officers present at the scene immediately observed visible traces of blows on the body.
Forensic Examination
The Liège prosecutor’s office was alerted and dispatched a forensic doctor to the scene. After an external examination, the medical examiner confirmed judicial suspicions that the man bore traces indicating the intervention of a third party in his death.
According to the examination, the blows appear to have been inflicted with a sharp or pointed object. Given the possible involvement of another person, an investigating judge has been seized of the case, which has been classified as murder—intentional homicide without premeditation under Belgian law.
The discovery was also reported by DHnet, which confirmed the case has been referred to the investigating judge for murder.
Autopsy Scheduled
A full autopsy was scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, to determine whether the injuries caused death and to more precisely date the time of death. As of Wednesday morning, the Liège prosecutor’s office stated it had no information regarding the identity of the victim.
The investigation remains ongoing, with authorities working to establish the circumstances surrounding the man’s death and identify the victim.
A Troubling Pattern in the Meuse
This discovery is not an isolated incident in the Liège region. In September 2025, a man’s body was found floating in the Meuse at Saint-Georges-sur-Meuse, wrapped in sheets, gagged, and tied with wire. That case, which authorities determined was an assassination, led to the apprehension of four suspects from the victim’s family circle, as RTBF reported.
The initial discovery in that case was made by two joggers who spotted the body between Engis and Saint-Georges. The victim was found wrapped in cloth with his feet bound, prompting an immediate homicide investigation, according to RTBF’s earlier coverage.
More recently, in late June 2026, emergency services recovered another body from the Meuse at Quai Godefroid Kurth in Liège, underscoring a recurring pattern of bodies being discovered in the river.
What’s Next
The autopsy results will be critical in determining the cause of death and providing investigators with a clearer timeline. Without identification of the victim, the investigation faces significant challenges, though forensic evidence and witness testimony may provide crucial leads.
Authorities have not indicated whether any arrests have been made or whether there are any suspects at this stage. The public prosecutor’s office has confirmed that the investigation is continuing, and further updates are expected as the autopsy results become available.
For residents of the Liège region, this latest discovery raises questions about safety along the river and whether there may be connections between these incidents. However, investigators have not suggested any link between the cases at this time.
As the investigation unfolds, the key questions remain: Who was the victim, what happened in the hours before his death, and who is responsible? The answers may come from the autopsy and the ongoing police work in the coming days.