A manhunt was underway this evening for the killer of a woman found murdered and dumped in a black bin bag in a Liverpool park.
Police were contacted on Friday afternoon after a member of the public discovered her body in a walled garden in Stanley Park, Anfield, at around 5.25pm.
Today, Merseyside Police revealed that – despite extensive investigations – they had not yet been able to identify the victim, who appears to be in his 70s.
Many park visitors have since reported seeing the trash bag but did not alert police because they did not think it was suspicious, they said.
Chief Inspector Rachel Wilson, who is leading the murder investigation, said it was ‘shocking’ crime‘ and that the police did everything they could to arrest the perpetrator.
The senior officer revealed the woman’s body had been in the bag in the busy park, which lies between Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium and Goodison Park, the former home of Everton FC, for ‘a number of weeks’.
Ms Wilson said missing persons reports had been checked but had turned up nothing so far.
She urged local residents to check on their neighbors and consider whether there was anyone living in their community who they may not have seen for several weeks, and contact them for information.
Forensic officers collect evidence in Stanley Park after a woman’s body was discovered in a walled garden
Police confirmed an investigation is underway and CCTV, witness and forensic examinations are being carried out
The dead woman is described as white, in his seventies, 1.80 meters tall, of small build and with strawberry blond hair. She also wore a “striking pink Nike branded T-shirt.”
Ms Wilson confirmed that detectives were examining CCTV footage from nearby streets and carrying out urgent door-to-door inquiries.
She said an autopsy had also been carried out, but the woman’s cause of death was not being made public “for investigative reasons”.
Ms Wilson appealed to members of the public with any information, dashcam, doorbell or CCTV footage to come forward, adding: “We are doing everything we can to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice. This is a shocking crime.”
Stanley Park is a large park of 110 hectares that is popular with joggers, dog walkers and children enjoying the summer holidays.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan admitted the discovery of the woman’s body would be ‘concerning and unnerving’ for locals, but insisted his officers were ‘determined to get answers’.
He said neighborhood teams would continue to talk to local residents and businesses, but accepted that “the only real reassurance will come when we find the person or persons responsible.”
“Stanley Park is known as the park that separates Anfield and Goodison football stadiums,” Ryan said.
The entrance to Stanley Park in Liverpool, where a police cordon remains in place inside the walled garden this evening
A pink T-shirt, similar to the one the murder victim wore
‘It is a very busy and popular green space, especially in the recent warm summer weeks. It is frequented by dog walkers and families, as well as people who enjoy walking and exercising.
‘It is quite possible that one or more of these visitors recently saw something suspicious and did not report it at the time. If you haven’t spoken to us then, please come forward now.
‘In retrospect, what you saw, heard or recorded on devices may have had more meaning than you realized at the time.
‘We are particularly interested in speaking to those who have been near the Walled Gardens in Stanley Park in recent weeks.’
He said a mobile police station had been set up in the park and urged anyone with information to contact them or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Today, visitors to the park said they were ‘petrified’ and ‘shocked’ that the woman’s body had been found in such a public place.
James Hannah, 29, said: ‘I run in this park almost every day. It makes me sad that I may have run past her without knowing it. I hope they find out who did it soon.
“It won’t stop me from running around the park.”
Janet Taylor, 55, added: ‘It’s shocking that the woman has been there for weeks. It’s also scary that this happened so close to home. That poor woman!’
She added: ‘Although it is very unlikely that I will be attacked here, it does make me feel more uncomfortable than before she was found.’
Young mother Jojo Miron said: ‘I’m terrified of being alone in the park. I couldn’t come here alone now.’
While dog walker Mike Willoughby, 43, said: ‘Someone has to know who she is. It is likely that she is someone’s mother or grandmother.
‘Why didn’t anyone miss her? If she’s been in the park that long, someone must be missing her.
“It’s scary that someone was killed, but the saddest thing for me is that no one missed her.”
