Merseyside Police and Liverpool John Moores University's Face Lab have released a facial reconstruction of a woman found dead inside a bin bag in Stanley Park, near Anfield stadium, in the most significant step yet to establish her identity.
The body was discovered by a dog walker in the Walled Garden section of Stanley Park on August 28. Police have said the victim is between 60 and 80 years old, about 5ft 2in tall, of slight build, with strawberry blonde hair, and was wearing a distinctive pink Nike t-shirt.
Investigation details
Officers later disclosed that the woman was malnourished and suffered from conditions including osteoporosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and arthritis. A complete DNA profile has been obtained, but no match was found in the national database. Dental records could not help because she had no teeth.
In an update on Friday (November 13), Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson from Merseyside Police's major incident team said the body was first spotted on July 13. She said "extensive enquiries" had been conducted, with more than a thousand homes visited in the surrounding area.
Appeal for information
Detective Superintendent Wilson revealed that 181 names had been put forward for the woman, but her identity remains unconfirmed. Officers still believe she is from the Liverpool area due to where she was found.
In a fresh appeal, Det Supt Wilson said: "I am grateful for the expert work that the team 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. 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."
Forensic work
Professor Caroline Wilkinson, director of LJMU's Face Lab, explained: "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. 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."
The cause of death has not been revealed, and a formal inquest has not been opened. The investigation is supported by the National Crime Agency and the National Missing Persons UK Team. Detectives are treating the case as a murder inquiry, and identifying the victim remains the top priority. 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."
She 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." A force spokesperson said contact can be made via social media @MerPolCC, through the Merseyside Police website, or by calling 101 quoting reference number 26000706383. Crimestoppers can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
