Corstorphine Hill: Victim’s identity established

POLICE have finally identified the woman found murdered, dismembered and buried in a shallow grave in an Edinburgh nature reserve.

DCI Keith Hardie with the facial reconstruction image of the victim. Picture: Julie Bull

She is not expected to be named until Monday, by which time her next of kin will have been informed.

It is not known at this stage whether she is from Edinburgh, or even Scottish, and which direction this will move the inquiry to find her killer or killers.

Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie said: “Identifying the victim was the first priority of this murder investigation and I would like to thank the public and the media for their help in achieving that aim.

“While this is positive news, it also means that a loved one has been lost.

“We are progressing our inquiries into the circumstances of this woman’s death and to finding those responsible for it.”

It is exactly a month since a cyclist found the body in Corstorphine Hill.

The time taken to identify her has hindered the progress of the murder investigation.

Detectives believe the woman was killed elsewhere and that her body was dismembered before being brought to the site in a holdall.

A facial reconstruction

released on Monday led to more than 50 calls from members of the public who believed they knew who she was.

Mr Hardie said earlier this week that the response had been very helpful and given police hope of finally advancing the inquiry.

He said calls had come not just from the Lothians, but from across the UK and abroad.

The murder inquiry has long been an international investigation, taking in forces south of the Border, police in Northern and the Republic of Ireland, and Europol.

A list of 23 possible names were put together following the latest appeal, ten of whom were traced “safe and well”.

Police were left with a list of 13 women who could possibly be the Corstorphine Hill victim.

Mr Hardie said that officers were convinced the woman had not been reported missing

previously.

More than 50 officers have been working on the case.

Until now the victim has been described as 32 to 60 years old – but more likely between 40 and 50 – white, with fair hair and about 5ft 2in.