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.

It appears that the man took his own life, as a rope was found attached to a beam near the body, which was found on Saturday in an outbuilding adjoining the main house.

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.

No trace of him was found despite a police investigation, which was eventually closed in 2016. In December 2021, he was declared legally dead by a local court, the statement added.

The remains have now been sent to the Strasbourg Institute of Forensic Medicine, which will undertake an autopsy and confirm the identity of the dead person using DNA from surviving family members.