Corpse exhumed in search for DNA

Police said the night dress was bought from Marks and Spencer

A body of a woman found decapitated almost 34 years ago has been exhumed by police hoping to use DNA samples to reveal her identity and her killer.

The headless corpse of the woman, found dressed in a pink nightdress, was discovered in Cockley Cley near Swaffham, Norfolk, in 1974.

She was never formally identified but police hope scientific advances will find her family, friends or colleagues. Norfolk Police said the inquiry was among the biggest it had carried out.

The woman, who was believed to be between 23 and 35 years old and about 5ft 2in (157cm) tall was found wrapped in a tarpaulin in a country lane on 27 August 1974. Her head was never found.

She could have been local... the truth is we just don't know Det Insp Andy Guy

The nightdress had been bought from a Marks and Spencer store and the woman was bound in a dustsheet marked NCR - the logo for National Cash Registers.

Despite police launching a long investigation, which included taking 700 statements and questioning 15,000 people, they were never able to identify the woman or find out where she had come from.

Now the DNA evidence taken from the exhumed body could take police a step closer to identifying the woman.

After being exhumed her remains were taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital where a second post-mortem was conducted and the remains studied.

The woman is believed to have been murdered in the first or second week of August 1974, police said.

'Catch the killer'

Det Insp Andy Guy, who is conducting the cold case investigation, said: "It is hoped the DNA recovered may be able to link the woman to a living family member on the database and provide a breakthrough in the case."

Police hope to hear from anyone who has not seen a relative, friend or colleague since 1974.

"The likelihood is it will be a member of the public ringing and saying 'that is my sister, neighbour or work colleague'," Det Insp Guy said.

"It is possible that she was a holidaymaker, or that she was staying at one of the nearby military camps.

"She could have been local or she could have been brought in from away. The truth is we just don't know.

"Once we identify her, we know where to look to catch the killer."