The discovery of a partially mummified body hanging in a dilapidated mansion in The Hague has left a lasting impression on a detective, highlighting the stark contrast between life and death. The surreal scene, reminiscent of a horror film set, involved an apparent suicide by a Polish man whose body had been hanging for months, unnoticed.

The detective recounted the unsettling experience during a night shift in the Van Merlenstraat. The house, once a grand residence, was now in disrepair, inhabited by vagrants and filled with the musty odor of paint. Unfinished paintings, empty vodka bottles, and a general state of disarray suggested a tragic life.

The body was found in a bedroom, illuminated by the moonlight. One side of the man’s face was mummified due to drafts, while the other side was decaying, exposing his skull. Rats had also been at the body, adding to the gruesome scene.

The detective called in forensic investigators and a coroner before retrieving the key to the mortuary. The mortuary, a small stone building in the cemetery on the Kerkhoflaan, further enhanced the eerie atmosphere. An owl flying past as they walked the gravel path to the mortuary added to the unsettling feeling.

The coroner and forensic photographer remarked on the macabre and surreal nature of the night during the examination of the body. The man was identified as Polish, a detail that stood out at a time when there were fewer Polish immigrants in the Netherlands.

The suicide deeply affected the detective, who was awaiting the birth of his first child. The contrast between the anticipation of new life and the stark reality of death was particularly striking. The detective shared the story with the watch commander to process the experience.

The detective said the image of the body and the memory of the location continue to linger, serving as a reminder of the incident. He also recalled a similar experience involving the suicide of a colleague of his father, which had a profound impact on him. The detective emphasized the importance of discussing such incidents to process them.