A suitcase abandoned on the side of a road in rural Australia has sparked a murder investigation after two passersby claimed to have discovered a woman's body inside. The incident took place in the small village of Oallen, in New South Wales, about 230 kilometres southwest of Sydney. Two men found the suitcase on Sunday and immediately notified authorities.

The police arrived at the scene and began the procedures as for a possible crime scene. For several hours, everything looked like a serious murder case. But the forensic investigation brought an unusual twist. After examinations, the police confirmed that the “body” was not that of a human, but a life-size sex doll, extremely similar to a real person.

“After forensic examinations, police have confirmed that the object found in the bag was a life-size doll, which was wearing clothing, had hair and a nose ring,” said the police district chief, Linda Bradbury. The situation was made even more compelling because the doll had marks resembling bruises and scratches, leading authorities to treat the case as a potentially fatal incident.

The investigation began around noon on Sunday and continued into Monday morning, when it was finally confirmed that it was not a human body. Bradbury defended the way the police handled the case, explaining that officers could not move or disturb the object until the examinations were complete. With the confirmation that there was no victim, the investigation into a possible homicide was closed.