The partially clothed body of a woman in her 40s was discovered with a bullet in her head in a field in the Val d’Oise region, north of Paris, on Monday night.

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A woman who was driving near the field at Villers-en-Arthies found the corpse shortly before 5 pm, a source close to the investigation told AFP.

The body matches the description of a woman whose disappearance was reported earlier in the day by her mother, who had noted things “out-of-place” at her daughter’s home.

A helicopter and canine squad had been deployed to track down the missing woman.

The mayor of Villers-en-Arthies, Jean-Francois Renard, confirmed that a woman’s body had been found in the municipality.

Renard said he believed the victim was a resident of Maudétour-en-Vexin, a neighbouring village.

Zves Jannier, the prosecutor for the Pontoise region, arrived at the field to pursue the investigation.

Researchers from Versaille’s gendarmerie have been charged with investigating further into the case.