A 35-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after the body of a woman was discovered in a suitcase on farmland in Kent. The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest at an address in Lewisham, south-east London, and said the suspect remains in custody.
The victim has been identified as Leah Questin, a 37-year-old care worker from Sneyd Road near Cricklewood, north London. Originally from the Philippines, her heavily decomposed remains were found last Thursday in a dried-up pond on farmland in Cliffe, near Rochester.
A postmortem examination carried out on Friday proved inconclusive, and forensic tests are ongoing to establish the exact cause of death. Ms Questin was reported missing by a friend on 12 September, after she was last seen at her home address.
Detective Chief Inspector Peter Lansdown of the Met's homicide and serious crime command said CCTV footage showed Ms Questin travelling alone on the 172 bus in the area of Elephant and Castle, heading south. She boarded the bus on New Kent Road shortly after leaving Elephant and Castle underground station. Detectives are still trying to establish her intended destination.
Police have appealed for anyone who saw Ms Questin in south-east London or on the 172 bus route on 12 September, or who may have seen her after that date, to come forward. She is described as 4ft 11ins tall with a petite build, light complexion, and long black hair, wearing a red top and blue jeans.
