Missing head of Lisbon man 'decapitated by student' handed to cops wrapped in foil

The missing head of a decapitated man has been handed into police by a student, who was promptly arrested.

The young man reportedly brought the unattached head, which had been wrapped in tin foil, out of his backpack and shocked doctors at the São José Hospital, in Lisbon, Portugal, who quickly called the police. A man's headless body had been found lying in the middle of the street in the centre of the Portuguese capital on Wednesday.

Police launched a murder inquiry after the body was found on Patio Salema, a narrow road near a major tourist site and picturesque square, shortly after 6.45am local time. It comes after a woman, 20, was found dead on bus with 26 iPhones glued to her body.

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The student reportedly told police he had met the man just hours before his death. He is believed to have confessed to murdering the man.

He is facing charges of aggravated homicide and desecration of a corpse. He appeared in court this morning.

Police told local news outlet Correio da Manhã the motive behind the killing appears to have been trivial. Initial forensic tests suggest the victim had no injuries caused by a knife or gun.

The news comes after a headless body washed up on a Costa del Sol beach, leaving locals horrified. The corpse was discovered dressed in a wetsuit and was in an advanced state of decomposition in the popular Spanish resort of Fuengirola back in June.

Sources close to the investigation told local publication Sur that police believe the body was in the water for some time. Locals called the 112 emergency hotline at 8.41pm to report seeing a body without a head at the height of the Paseo Maritimo Rey de España.

The Spanish National Police force has taken over the investigation and the force is not ruling out any theories on the cause of death. The body has been taken for autopsy and is yet to be identified.