French woman found dead in Italian church was searching for ghosts in possible Tik Tok stunt, police say

The abandoned church was in the Aosta Valley of northern Italy

A 22-year-old French woman was discovered in an abandoned church in Italy's Aosta Valley over the weekend, her body drained of blood. Police reported that she had been seeking out a haunted house rumored to be inhabited by ghosts, a plan she had shared with family members before departing from her village near Lyon.

Authorities suspect that the victim may have been attempting a TikTok stunt, given her involvement in a ghost-hunting competition on the social media platform. Other potential scenarios being considered are a "consented murder" or sacrifice, or perhaps an ill-advised social media prank within the deconsecrated church. The police are actively searching for a young man who was seen with her, and they are also looking into two other missing persons cases in the vicinity that could be related.

The victim and a male companion had been spotted in the neighborhood dressed "like vampires,"

The spokeswoman mentioned that the victim and a male companion had been spotted in the area dressed as "vampires." A witness described the young woman as pale and "emaciated," while the man was noted to have dark hair and olive skin. The witness compared her appearance to that of a "walking corpse."

The deceased, whose identity has not been disclosed, had sustained fatal injuries from a camping knife, according to medical examiner Roberto Testi, leading to her bleeding to death. Additionally, she had received two gunshot wounds to her neck and one to her abdomen, possibly inflicted post-mortem. Police noted that some blood had been cleaned from the scene, and there were no signs of a struggle.

Manlio D'Ambrosi, the local prosecutor, said her office was investigating a van seen on surveillance footage

Near her body, investigators found a pack of pink marshmallows and groceries purchased from a local store. She was dressed in beige leggings and a sweatshirt under a long dark coat, without any identification or cellphone.

Prosecutor Manlio D’Ambrosi mentioned ongoing inquiries into a burgundy van spotted near the church on surveillance footage the previous week, though details on this lead remain limited.