CNN —Homeowners in France have discovered a skeleton in the attic of an outbuilding while undertaking renovation work. The body is thought to belong to the former occupant of the property, which is located in Erstroff in eastern France, who disappeared in 2009, according to a statement from the local prosecutor’s office published Monday. The remains were found in a small room immediately under the roof accessible only by a trapdoor that was “almost invisible,” according to the statement. The discovery is thought to be linked to the former owner, a man born in 1927, who disappeared in 2009. In December 2021, he was declared legally dead by a local court, the statement added.

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Persons: CNN’s Caroline Baum Organizations: CNN, Homeowners, Strasbourg Institute, Forensic Medicine Locations: France, Erstroff