PhD researcher drives appeal to solve ‘Wembley Point Woman’ mystery
A Staffordshire University researcher is driving an appeal to help identify a woman who died nearly two decades ago.
PhD researcher Emma Tilley is working with partners at Locate International to solve the mystery of the ‘Wembley Point Woman’ who jumped from a London office block in October 2004.
A former civil servant, Emma’s research is focussed on cross-matching missing persons reports and unidentified bodies. She began volunteering with charity Locate International three years ago to help investigate missing persons cases and put forward the Wembley Point Woman.
Emma also helped to establish Staffordshire University’s Cold Case Unit which sees students working with Locate International and police partners to revisit unsolved cases.
Emma explained: “Someone is reported missing every 90 seconds in the UK and most of these incidents are resolved within two days. However, a small number of incidents remain unsolved for the long term.
“The immense impact on the families left behind in a state of unknowing is difficult to comprehend. It also raises many social questions. How we can be in a society in which you can die and remain unidentified?”
On the morning of her death, a woman entered the Wembley Point building – now called the WEM Tower London – and bought a coffee from the café on the 21st floor before opening a window and jumping out. No identifying documents or objects were found on her body and no-one came forward to identify her.
The woman was black, 5ft 1in to 5 ft 3in tall and aged between 20 to 40 years old. She was dressed smartly in a black polo neck under a claret crew neck and a maroon bomber jacket with black trousers. The few items she left in the café included £5.20, a bus pass, a used pack of 10 Marlborough Cigarettes, a black carrier bag and a 2 x 1ft oil painting.
Emma said: “We’ve not discovered her name which is so sad. It is hard to understand why we can’t reach the right people. There is no way you can get to her age without seeing a GP, having a local shopkeeper, neighbours and obviously she has a mum.
“Realistically she must have touched the lives of at least ten to thirty people, so we’re doing all we can to try and reach one of them.”
In the UK, there are over 1,000 outstanding unidentified bodies cases and 4,000 long term missing people. It is likely that 200 of the unidentified bodies have already been reported missing but the two haven’t been matched up.
Emma explained: “There are many reasons for this. For example, someone might say to family and friends that they are 5ft 7in but a pathologist’s examination finds them to be 5ft 5in. Or maybe someone’s family never knew they had a tattoo. This misinformation can prevent a missing person’s body being identified.”
In July 2021, an appeal was launched on social media and through several art organisations to try and identify the Wembley Point Woman’s painting. An artist’s impression of the woman was also released last year and Emma hopes these appeals for information will reach someone who knew her.
“Nearly every police force in the UK has unidentified body cases. There is always someone out there who knows something and who can help.”
Emma added: “The more people we can reach with these appeals, the more chance we have of giving the Wembley Point Woman and other unidentified people back their names.”
Find information about the Wembley Point Woman and other missing persons on Locate International’s website.
Amy Platts
Media Communications Officer
t: 01782 292702
m: 07799 341911
e: amy.platts@staffs.ac.uk
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