Alice Gross murder suspect 'carried her body in a builder's bag', claims hostel boss

Steven Mendonca says Arnis Zalkalns was weighed down by a big bag and stared at him 'like a zombie' in as he begged for a room a week after Alice went missing.

The suspected killer of Alice Gross was carrying her body in a 5ft-long bag at a hostel, it was claimed last night.
Steven Mendonca claimed Arnis Zalkalns stared at him “like a zombie” in the incident on September 5, a week after Alice, 14, went missing.
The 41-year-old builder, convicted of murdering his wife in his native Latvia, was trying to get into a homeless hostel in Harlesden, North West London.
Mr Mendonca, 33, said Zalkalns had pleaded “help me boss, help me!” as he begged to be given a room.

 
Mr Mendonca said: “I am convinced Alice’s body was inside. It was like a builder’s bag with a big strap and it was weighing him down.”
The incident was reported to police.
Alice's body was found hidden in the River Brent on September 30, almost a month after she went missing from her home in Hanwell.
The body of Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns, the prime suspect in her murder, was found hanging in woodland in Boston Manor Park on October 4.
An inquest was later opened and adjourned.
The court heard how Alice's body was wrapped in a bag and weighted down in the river.
Police coroner's officer John Chadwick told the court: "This inquest touches the death of Alice Poppy Madeleine Gross.
"On August 20, Alice Gross, a 14-year-old schoolgirl went missing from her home in Hanwell, west London.
"A police investigation was started and on September 30, as a result of police searches of the River Brent her body was discovered.

 Mr Chadwick continued: "The deceased was submerged, wrapped in a bag and weighted down. She was pronounced dead at 22.45pm by a police surgeon.
"The family were informed and Alice's body was transferred to Uxbridge Mortuary.
"A post mortem carried out at Uxbridge Mortuary by Doctor Ashley Fegan-Earl proved inconclusive.
"Identification was made by dental records and investigations are ongoing."

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 Senior coroner Chinyere Inyama then adjourned the inquest to early next year.
He said: "I'm not going to conclude the inquest today because clearly there are other investigations ongoing.
"This inquest is now formally opened and adjourned until January 29, 2015."
Alice was last seen on close circuit TV walking along the towpath beside the Grand Union Canal near her home on the afternoon of August 28.
Nearly three weeks later investigators realised that Zalkalns, who was reported missing by his family on September 5, had been cycling behind her.
He served seven years in prison in his native country for bludgeoning and stabbing his wife Rudite to death.

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 The general labourer, who worked at a building site in Isleworth, west London, is believed to have come to the UK in 2007, but authorities here are thought to have had no record of his murder conviction.
David Cameron has said he will examine 'all the circumstances of the case' surrounding the murder of Alice, whose body was finally found last week.