Detectives investigating the discovery of a woman’s body in a Birmingham country park have launched a murder inquiry.
West Midlands Police confirmed it was treating the woman’s death as “suspicious” following a post-mortem examination on Monday.
But, more than 48 hours after the discovery was made by a dog walker in a brook at Sheldon Country Park, officers were still no closer to finding out who she was.
All that was known about her was that she was probably in her 30s and had auburn shoulder-length hair. The woman had no forms of identification and was not wearing any jewellery when she was found.
A force spokesman said: “The death is certainly being treated as suspicious and it will be a murder investigation. The key thing now is to identify this woman.”
Police declined to reveal the results of the post-mortem examination. But they were concerned no-one had yet reported as missing anyone matching her description.
Checks on missing persons records had also failed to provide a breakthrough in her identity. The area was sealed off throughout the weekend after the woman’s body was discovered at 12.45pm on Saturday.
A blue police tent could be seen among the trees close to the spot where the corpse was found while police carried out a search for evidence.
It was not clear whether the spot was where she met her death or whether her body may have been carried along the stream by the water.
While the spot is secluded, it is regularly used by dog walkers so it was thought the woman’s body would have been there for less than two days.
Police appealed for members of the public with neighbours or relatives matching the woman’s description to come forward.
She was described as white, with brown auburn shoulder-length hair and estimates put her age in her 30s. She was wearing a black jacket, blue jeans and black trainers.
