The torso and part of a thigh bone of a beheaded female college student from Shimane Prefecture have been found on a mountain in Hiroshima Prefecture near the site where her head was found in early November, police said Nov. 9.

A joint Shimane and Hiroshima prefectural police investigation squad said they confirmed the torso and thigh bone are that of Miyako Hiraoka, 19, a freshman at the University of Shimane, who had not been seen since finishing her shift the evening of Oct. 26 at the restaurant where she worked part time.

Investigators also said the head bore marks of manual strangulation. They believe Hiraoka was strangled and then dismembered with a sharp knife.

Women's clothing was found near the torso but was later confirmed not to be Hiraoka's.

Her body parts were found on 1,223-meter Mount Garyu, which is known for its rich natural landscape. The site is about 25 km southeast of Hamada, Shimane Prefecture, where Hiraoka attended university.