Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 21

Met Police Launch Murder Probe After Woman's Bones Found in 2-Hectare Hounslow Park Fire Zone

Updated

Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 21

Met Police Launch Murder Probe After Woman's Bones Found in 2-Hectare Hounslow Park Fire Zone

Q: Who is the mystery woman found in the ashes of Bedfont Lakes, and how long did her secret lie hidden in the shrubland?

She remains unidentified, and police do not yet know how long her remains lay hidden at Bedfont Lakes Country Park. What investigators have established is limited but significant: the bones, found by a member of the public on 12 August in woodland known as The Pits near Padstow Walk in Feltham/Hounslow, were confirmed by post-mortem to be those of a woman believed to have been aged between 25 and 45. That examination led the Metropolitan Police to open a murder investigation. The timeline is still uncertain. Detectives have said explicitly that it is “not clear” how long the remains had been at the site. Reports suggest recent wildfires may have exposed them by burning away shrubland and topsoil, but that has not been formally confirmed as the cause of the discovery. The London Fire Brigade did confirm a grass fire at the park on 5 August, when four engines and about 25 firefighters dealt with a blaze that damaged roughly two hectares of shrubland. So, at this stage, the “mystery woman” is only known as an unidentified female victim, estimated to be between 25 and 45 years old. How long her secret lay buried in the shrubland remains one of the central unanswered questions in the case, alongside who she was and how she died. Police are appealing for information as forensic and identification work continues.

3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 21

Human bones found in Bedfont Lakes Country Park after a wildfire have triggered a murder investigation, with Metropolitan Police saying the remains were uncovered by a member of the public.
A post-mortem found the bones belonged to a woman aged 25 to 45, but officers still do not know her identity or how long the remains had been at the site.
Emergency services were called to the Hounslow park at about 18:35 BST on Wednesday 12 August, in woodland known as The Pits.
London Fire Brigade said 4 fire engines and about 25 firefighters tackled a grass fire there on 5 August, which damaged roughly 2 hectares of shrubland.
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley said investigators were keeping an open mind and appealed for information to help identify the woman and establish how she died.