Thirty years after the discovery of a woman’s body on a beach, an image has been released to try and identify her.
A team of voluntary investigators at charity Locate International is revisiting the case of a woman found near the Low Lighthouse on Burnham-on-Sea beach on 13 January 1993.
The discovery by an off-duty coastguard followed the fierce UK Braer Storm, the most intense north Atlantic cyclone recorded to date.
She was aged about 60 or 70.
The charity said it hoped by releasing a new digital image, produced by Scotland-based forensic artist Hew Morrison, it might finally be able to identify her.
Described as being white, 157cm (5ft1ins) tall, with a thin build, she also had very long grey hair.
Dave Grimstead, CEO and founder of the UK-based charity that works on unsolved missing person cases, said: “As we reach 30 years since her death, we’re hoping someone out there can help unite Burnham-on-Sea woman with her real name.
“Maybe you remember a woman with very long grey hair in north Somerset around this time?” he added.
When she was found, the woman was wearing a light green and beige overcoat with a dark green fur-lined hood, dark ankle socks, and a knee-length black skirt with a Jaeger label.
She had one shoe from Stead & Simpson, described as blue with a blue bow and a small kitten heel, she was wearing black knitted gloves and a yellow and black patterned scarf.
She also had on three cardigans.
- A heavy, light blue knitted cardigan with two pockets, no buttons, and a wraparound belt
- A black cardigan with black beads around the shoulder and neck. This was worn under the blue cardigan
- A pink cardigan with gold and pink buttons and a long collar. This was also worn under the blue cardigan, although it is not known whether this was also under the black cardigan
Eastern European links
She had a gold band-type ring and was carrying a packet of paracetamol tablets purchased from Superdrug and an “After Curry” mint with the word “Kansaras” printed on it.
Mr Grimstead asked for anyone who recognised her, the description of her clothes or anyone who “served her the Kansaras after-dinner mint, maybe in a curry house”, to get in touch with the charity.
The team is also looking into a possible link with the eastern European community in the West Country and has asked anyone with links to the community around 1993 if they recognise her or her description.
“Even the smallest details can help move our investigation forward, so we encourage you to come forward,” Mr Grimstead said.
Source: BBC
