Merseyside Police has released new details about the woman found dead in a bin bag in Stanley Park, revealing she was malnourished and had several health problems. The force has widened the potential age range of the victim to between 60 and 80 years old as it continues attempts to identify her.
The body was discovered inside a bin bag stashed in the Walled Garden area of Stanley Park on August 28, after being found by a dog walker. Police previously said the woman had been in the bag for a number of weeks.
Health issues and identity clues
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, head of the force's major incident team, told the ECHO that a full DNA profile has now been obtained and checked against the national database, but the woman is not on the police database.
"We now know she had a number of ailments... she suffered with osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and arthritis," Det Supt Wilson said. "We also think she was malnourished. Whether that is through neglect or through her age, we're not sure. This woman has some vulnerabilities."
The victim also had no teeth, top or bottom, which has prevented the use of dental records for identification. Earlier descriptions indicated she was around 5ft 2in tall, of slight build, with strawberry blonde hair and wearing a distinctive pink Nike t-shirt.
Investigation timeline and appeals
Detectives have narrowed the time period of when the body was placed in the park to the first week of July, based on speaking with people in the park and analysing hundreds of hours of CCTV. The cause of death has not been disclosed for investigative reasons.
The investigation team has been provided with the names of 126 women as potential victims, but has been able to eliminate them from the probe. The force is being supported by the National Crime Agency and the National Missing Persons UK Team.
Det Supt Wilson said the force is keeping an open mind about where the victim may have come from, adding: "We've focused our attention on the immediate area around the park, but we're not going to discount anything further afield."
The investigation is being treated as a murder probe, but the priority remains identifying the victim. "It's always about the victim," Det Supt Wilson said. "That's our focus, but that doesn't mean we stop the work on the offender. But I do think the victim will lead us to the offender once we identify who she is."
Appealing for information, she said: "We're all determined to establish who she is, how she's died and why. If anyone has got concerns about a friend, a neighbour, you might be the local postman or someone in the medical profession. However small, please contact us."
