Teenage girl missing in suspected murder case confirmed dead by DNA tests, say judicial sources and relative

Results of DNA tests have „99% confirmed” that bones found in the home of a suspect murderer in Caracal, South Romania belong to the missing teenager whose suspected death has shaken the country for the past week, as judicial sources have told news agency Agerpres. A relative of the victim also said that the Justice minister informed parents about the finding. An official announcement has yet to be made.

• UPDATE Saturday: Prosecutors confirmed officially that DNA found in bones collected from suspect’s home was Alexandra’s.

Alexandra Macesanu, a teenager from a village near Caracal, went missing last week. Despite calling the 112 emergency number repeatedly to call for help and inform that she’d been beaten and raped, authorities failed to intervene and by Friday, July 26th she was believed to have been killed by the Caracal man who had taken her captive. As the case shook the nation and sparked public outcry over what many called a „failed state”, as ministers, heads of police and other key officials were sacked or resigned, investigations continued. But by Friday, August 2nd no body or any other clear evidence of death had been found.

Yet on Friday evening, Alexandru Cumpanasu, head of an NGO and cousin to Alexandra’s parent, said Justice minister Ana Birchall informed Alexandra’s parents that DNA tests have eventually confirmed that remains found in the key suspect’s home were Alexandra’s.

And judicial sources also told Agerpres news agency that the tests confirmed 99% that bones found at the location matched Alexandra’s DNA.

New bone fragments and other biological evidence were found at suspect Gheorghe Dinca’s home on Friday. Alexandra’s phone was also found in a park at a spot indicated by the suspect. Dinca has confessed of murdering Alexandra and another girl who went missing this spring.

Despite Dinca’s confession of murder, a lack of clear evidence of death has fueled speculation and hope that Alexandra might be alive.