Merseyside Police has released a reconstructed image of a woman whose body was found in a bin bag in Liverpool earlier this year, in an ongoing effort to identify her.
Police were called to Stanley Park at around 5.25pm on Friday, August 28, after a member of the public discovered a black bin bag in bushes in the walled garden, which contained the woman's body.
Despite multiple public appeals, the victim has not been identified. The reconstructed image has been produced with Face Lab, a Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) research group.
Key Details of the Victim
The woman is described as white, approximately 5ft 2in tall, and of slight build. She was found wearing a pink Nike T-shirt. Police have expanded their enquiries to investigate reports of a woman aged between 60 and 80.
Forensic tests have established a DNA profile, but there was no match on the national DNA database. The woman had no teeth, meaning dental records could not be compared.
She suffered from osteoporosis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), and arthritis in her hands. She was also malnourished, although police said it has not been possible to establish whether that was due to her age or neglect.
Police Appeal for Information
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: "I am grateful for the expert work that the team have done at Face Lab have done to develop this image. This work takes some time to complete but we believe that we have a representative image of the woman. Now we need to know who she is."
She added: "Do you recognise her or think you have seen her prior to 13 July? Do you have any information which could assist our enquiries? Please come forward and speak to us or if you don't want to speak to the police then contact Crimestoppers anonymously. It is vital that we identify this woman and get the answers as to who was responsible for her murder."
Police have established that the first confirmed sighting of the bin bags was on July 13, six weeks before the body was recovered.
Expert Reconstruction and Next Steps
Professor Caroline Wilkinson, Director at Face Lab, said: "Face Lab is a centre of excellence relating to craniofacial identification and digital heritage. The Face Lab team have created a facial depiction to inspire recognition and assist the police in the identification of this woman and the forensic investigation into her death."
She added: "The depiction was produced using our 3D computerised facial reconstruction system following anatomical and anthropometrical standards and the final image was created using photo-editing."
Detective Superintendent Wilson added: "We hope that the image of the woman combined with the physical description, clothing and ailments will jog someone's memory. If you have information please get in touch with us as a matter of urgency."
Anyone with information is urged to contact police on social media @MerPolCC, report information through their website, or call 101 quoting reference number 26000706383. A dedicated Public Portal has also been created, allowing people to send images or footage directly to the investigation team. Alternatively, Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
