In mid-October, Lauris Upītis, a mushroom picker, noticed a very bad smell near a forest bunker used by homeless people in the Dizezeri area of Ādaži district, and suspected that it might contain human remains. He returned to the place again with Latvian Television's Studio 4, and initially it seemed that a forest animal had died in the bunker, but the State Police concluded that the deceased was indeed a person whose identity has not yet been established, the program reported.
Law enforcement officers learned about the suspicious-smelling underground bunker from a video posted by mushroom picker Lauris on social networks, but could not find the place on their own. Meanwhile, the mushroom picker went to the forest settlement together with the film crew of Latvian Television to rendezvous with the police. It was believed that the location was used by homeless people - men and women who drank a lot of alcohol - and who had lived in the settlement for about ten years. They also had a dog and cats.
While waiting for the State Police to arrive, Studio 4 concluded that the unbearable smell could have been caused by a dead animal. However, looking at the surroundings, there was a nagging suspicion that people had left the settlement in a hurry. A boiled egg and a telephone were even left on the table inside the bunker. Outside, clothes, bicycles and even quite valuable fishing rods were abandoned.
At the time, neither the Social Service of the Ādaži district nor the local municipality could explain to the program who these people were who had been living in the forest for years.
State Police official Aldis Stivriņš, told Studio 4: "Following a request from residents, a search was conducted and it was found that there was a human corpse in the aforementioned bunker. A criminal investigation was launched... At the moment, the aforementioned person has not yet been identified."
The police stated that the cause of death will be determined by an expert examination within a month.
In similar cases, if you think you have found human remains, be sure to notify the police immediately (call 112), the program said, urging people to also report if they see anyone living in similar conditions.
