Woman dismembered in Hague was reported missing days before; Neighbors shocked

The police discovered a woman brutally murdered in a yoga studio on Neptunusstraat in Den Haag on Thursday while investigating a missing person report. A woman living on Neptunusstraat was reported missing on Tuesday, January 9th. The body was found when the police went to investigate the missing woman's home two days later. "Investigation must reveal whether the woman found in the home on Neptunusstraat is also the woman who was reported missing", the police said.

Newspaper AD identifies the victim as 30-year-old Julia Leda from Russia. According to the newspaper, the woman was murdered in her own yoga studio. A 40-year-old man, believed to be her partner, was arrested on suspicion of involvement in her murder. Various news sources report that the Russian yoga instructor was hacked to pieces. The police have not confirmed this in the interest of the investigation.

Neighbors and local residents are shocked by the gruesome murder. Most people on the quiet Den Haag street knew the Russian couple by sight, regularly seeing them walking their Yorkshire Terrier. The orphaned dog was taken in by neighbors. They refused to comment on the case. "And anyone who says anything about it, is making it up", an angry neighbor said to the newspaper.

"A very nice women with whom you could speak Dutch", employees of a hairdresser on the same street said to AD.

One of her friends, Rene Verlaan, is organizing a memorial service for Julia on January 25th. The news of her death hit him hard, he said to Omroep West. "Not only me. Everyone in her environment has been affected. We all feel that we have to do something." The service will be held in the Zeehelden theater. "There will be a moment of silence, someone will say something and musicians Julia liked to listen to will perform."

Julia opened her yoga studio around six months ago. Before that she gave art lessons to children.

The police refused to comment to AD about who reported the woman missing. According to the newspaper, the police stopped answering questions about this case on Sunday. "We are fully engaged in the investigation", was all a police spokesperson would say to the newspaper.