Merseyside Police have launched a major murder investigation after the body of a woman in her 70s was discovered inside a bin bag in Liverpool's Stanley Park. The discovery was made Friday afternoon around 5:25 pm in a walled garden area of the park.
A pink Nike T-shirt and a black bin bag in Stanley Park
The victim, who remains unidentified, was found by a member of the public who noticed a black bin bag that appeared out of place in a walled garden. According to the report, the woman is described as white, in her 70s, approximately 5 feet 2 inches tall with a small build and strawberry blonde hair.. At the time of her death, she was wearing a distinctive pink Nike branded T-shirt.
Merseyside Police have cordoned off the scene to gather forensic evidence. While a post-mortem examination has been completed, the specific cause of death is being withheld from the public to avoid compromising the ongoing investigation, as the report says.
The 'several weeks' the victim lay unnoticed in a 110-acre hub
In a disturbng detail, Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson, who is leading the case, stated that the body had likely been inside the bag witihn the park for several weeks. This timeline suggests that numerous visitors may have passed the location without realizing a crime had occurred. Some visitors have since reported seeing the bag but did not find it suspicious enough to notify authorities at the time.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan noted that Stanley Park spans 110 acres and serves as a popular hub for dog walkers, families, and joggers, especially during the summer. The police have established a mobile police station within the park to facilitate the gathering of evidence and are urging the public to provide dashcam, doorbell, or CCTV footage that might help identify the killer.
The shadow cast over Anfield and Goodison Park
The location of the crime has caused significant distress because Stanley Park is a central landmark separating the historic Anfield stadium of Liverpool FC and Goodison Park, the former home of Everton FC. This high-visibility area is usually associated with community spirit and sport, making the discovery of a violent crime particularly jarring for local residents.
The emotional toll is evident in the reactions of regular park users. James Hannah, a regular runner, expressed sadness at the possibility that he might have run past the victim, while others, including Janet Taylor and Jojo Miron, reported feeling petrified to be alone in the green space. Dog walker Mike Willoughby questioned how a woman could be murdered and remain missing for weeks without her absence being noticed by loved ones.
Why missing person reports have drawn a blank
Despite an intensive investigation, Merseyside Police have been unable to identify the woman. Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson confirmed that missing person reports across the region have been meticulously cross-referenced , but these efforts have so far yielded no matches.. The police are now appealing to the public to check on elderly neighbors who may have been missing for several weeks.
The investigation now relies heavily on door-to-door inquiries and the review of CCTV footage from nearby streets. A critical gap remains in the investigation: the identity of the victim and the identity of the perpetrator, as no suspects have been named and the victim's social circle remains unknown.
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