Mysterious Skull Discovery in Brandenburg Canal Raises Concerns

Authorities in Brandenburg are investigating a disturbing discovery made in the Velten Canal: a human skull found submerged in water. This grim find has led to questions about a potential unresolved murder case. Recent reports confirm that the skull was encased in a bag, which was further weighted down by a rectangular paving stone, suggesting an attempt to conceal it from discovery. Despite these efforts, the stone proved insufficient, as divers located the bag containing the skull along with the stone in just 50 centimeters of water.

It is suspected that the remains may have been discarded from a nearby bridge on Parkallee, where witnesses reported seeing suspicious activity. The day prior to the skull's discovery, divers uncovered another bag nearby, reportedly containing additional human bone fragments, which raises further alarm about the circumstances surrounding the case.

The timeline for when the skull and bones were placed in the canal remains uncertain. A forensic specialist was called to assess the skull on-site and confirmed that it belonged to a human. However, the expert could not determine how long the remains had been submerged.

In a related case, a 24-year-old man named Paul Burdach has been missing from Rathenow, approximately 70 kilometers from Velten, since April 17, 2024. Burdach was last seen getting into a car with an unknown individual at a local OBI hardware store and has not been heard from since. The police are now treating this case as a potential homicide.

Oberstaatsanwalt Andreas Pelzer from Neuruppin stated efforts are underway to extract DNA from the skull to facilitate comparisons with other missing persons cases. While the dental records have been obtained, officials are still uncertain whether the skull belonged to a male or female.

Further investigation has revealed that there are no visible signs of trauma on the skull, which complicates the understanding of the circumstances surrounding the death. As the torso and limbs have yet to be recovered, the full picture remains unclear.

The case has drawn significant media attention, as the search for answers continues. Investigators from the Potsdam Public Prosecutor's Office are leading the inquiry, working diligently to uncover the truth and potentially identify the remains.