Australian police have closed a homicide investigation after discovering “human remains” were actually a lifelike doll with fake bruises and grazes.

Two members of the public on a Sunday drive discovered a dumped suitcase on the side of the road in Oallen, a town about 200km (125 miles) south-west of Sydney.

The pair contacted police after opening it up and finding what appeared to be the remains of a female.

Officers attached to The Hume Police District established a crime scene near Goulburn and were said to have conducted “initial investigations” at the scene.

However, forensic officers must not have examined the contents too closely; only later did forensic testing prove the contents were not human.

Further examinations determined that “the item located in the bag was a lifelike doll, wearing clothing, with hair and a nose piercing,” NSW Police said on Monday.

“The item also had markings that resembled bruises and grazes,” it said.

Superintendent Linda Bradbury told reporters that police “don’t like to disturb remains too much in situ, particularly when we have faced inclement weather, as we did yesterday and again today.”

The item was “very realistic in terms of looking like human remains,” she added.

Police have now closed their investigations.