Elderly man found in back yard had been dead for a month, autopsy finds

The autopsy on the charred body of an elderly man that was found in the back yard of a house in northern Athens on Friday night has found that the deceased had been dead for around a month.

However, the medical examiner was unable to establish the cause of death of the 82 year old.

Police, who had been alerted to the scene in Ano Liosia by neighbors complaining of a stench from the property, found the remains on a burned mattress.

They proceeded to arrest the deceased 59-year-old son, who has been described as having psychological issues.

The son told police that his father died some time ago and, unable to bear the stench, attempted to burn his body.

Meanwhile, police also found body parts, including a head and legs, in a garbage can near the scene, which are suspected to belong to the 82-year-old, particularly as the son was found in possession of an ax and a saw.

The autopsy is understood to have found a number of postmortem wounds on the body. 

The 59-year-old is facing charges of failing to report a death, providing false statements to the authorities and illegal possession of a weapon.