The police have launched a murder investigation following the discovery of the body of a woman in Stanley Park, Liverpool, yesterday, Friday 28 August
The body of a woman feared to have been murdered was found in a bin bag near Liverpool’s iconic Anfield stadium – and detectives fear she may have lying there for weeks.
Cops have yet been able identify the woman – believed to be in her 70s – and desperately appealed for information from the public. They said the woman was found by a passerby in the in the walled garden of Liverpool’s Stanley Park at around 5.25pm on Friday.
Merseyside Police say that inquiries remain ongoing to identify the woman and inform her next of kin. An autopsy has taken place, but detectives have withheld the result for “investigative reasons”, they said.
The woman has been described as white, in her 70s and around 5ft 2 in height, with strawberry blonde hair. She was found wearing a distinctive cerise pink Nike T-shirt, the force said.
An investigation is ongoing and CCTV, witness and forensic enquiries are in the process of being carried out. Preliminary enquiries suggest the woman’s body could have been there for a number of weeks, the Liverpool Echo reports.
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson appealed for information at a press conference held on Monday, saying: “This is a shocking crime.
“If you live in the area of Stanley Park in Anfield and have seen anything or heard anything suspicious in the recent weeks, regardless of whether you’ve reported it or not, or if you consider it trivial, please come forward.
“Although we are carrying out comprehensive inquiries, any piece of CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage may absolutely be vital in solving this crime. Please don’t assume that we already hold this information. Our team will make that assessment.”
Police said they had already carried out a number of lines of enquiry, including examining any missing people reports in the Merseyside and wider area, but have so far drawn a blank.
Det Supt Wilson added: “A post-mortem took place on Saturday, August 29, the results of which have been held for investigation reasons. I hope you understand that when we are able to share the detail of this, we will.
“Our team has since been carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the woman, but we have so far been unable to do this. We believe that her body may have been in a black bin bag at this location for a number of weeks.”
The park is situated between Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium and Goodison Park, the former home of Everton. Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan said it was possible a visitor to the park may have seen or recorded something they did not realise was significant.
He said: “It is a very busy and popular green space, especially in the recent summer weeks. It is visited by dog walkers and families, as well as people walking, playing, and exercising.
“It is quite possible that one or more of those visitors may have seen something suspicious recently and not reported it at the time. If you didn’t speak with us then, please do come forward now.
“With hindsight, what you saw, heard, or captured on devices may carry more significance than you realised at the time.
“We are particularly interested in speaking to those who have been in the area of the walled gardens in Stanley Park in recent weeks. If you are visiting the park in the coming days, please speak to our officers in the area to share any concerns.”