David Grann

One day in southwest Poland, there were a couple fishermen, and one of them noticed something floating, and then the other came over, and they realized it was a body.

And there was a noose around the neck, and the hands had obviously been tied behind their back.

There was no doubt that the figure had been murdered.

It was decayed, and it was evidence once the pathologist looked at the person that they also had lacked food in them.

So somebody had clearly deprived the person of nourishment, some indications that they had been beaten and tortured.

And there was something very peculiar the way the noose was around the neck.

and the hands were tied behind the back.

At one point, the rope had been cut in the middle, but it was clear that the person had been held with the hands connected to the noose in the back, almost like a backward cradle, so a very, very painful position, so that if the figure had moved at all or struggled to move, they would have been choking themselves.

It was clear that the body had been through a lot.

It suggested almost an anger.

It did not seem like some detached murder.

He was a young businessman in his 30s.

He worked in advertising.

He was married.

He was known as kind of a happy, cheerful.

He played guitar, got along with people, no history of violence, very personable.

He had last been seen leaving his business.

He had left in the afternoon around 4 p.m., if my memory is correct, and then was seen leaving the building.

He didn't take his car, a Peugeot, which was unusual for him because he normally, when he was going to run an errand or do something, he always took his car.

He did not take his car with him, and that was the last time he was seen.