Stanley Park murder investigation: appeal for information
01.09.26 - Merseyside
The heartbreaking discovery of a woman's body in Stanley Park has prompted Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell to urge anyone with information to come forward as detectives continue efforts to identify the victim and find those responsible.
The Commissioner said the tragic loss of another woman's life will be felt deeply across communities and acknowledged the concern and distress the case has caused for residents, family members and all those who use the park.
Emily made the appeal following a police press conference yesterday (Monday 31 August), during which officers revealed they are still working to identify the victim and urged residents to consider whether a family member, friend or neighbour may have been out of contact in recent weeks.
The Commissioner said: "This is a deeply shocking and upsetting case, and I know many people will feel concerned.
"The loss of another woman’s life in such tragic circumstances is heartbreaking. My thoughts are with all those who may be affected by this devastating incident and those who may be anxiously waiting for news of a loved one.
"I also recognise the distress this news will cause for local residents and everyone who uses Stanley Park.
"I want to reassure communities that Merseyside Police are dedicating significant resources to this investigation and are working tirelessly to identify the victim, find answers and bring those responsible before the courts.
"Additional patrols and neighbourhood officers remain in the area to provide reassurance and support to the community.
"If you have any information, footage or concerns about someone you have not seen or heard from in recent weeks, please read the appeal below and contact police. Even the smallest detail could help provide answers for a family and assist the investigation."
Police appeal
Press Conference, Monday 31 August 2026.
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan:
“Good afternoon everyone. I am Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan. We have called this press conference to make a further appeal for information in relation to a murder investigation which was launched on Friday. With me today is Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson who is the Senior Investigating Officer and Head of our Major Incident Team, who will firstly speak to you about the investigation.”
D/Supt Rachel Wilson:
“Good afternoon everyone and thank you for coming.
“I would like to give you the latest information as we have it, and what we are still looking to establish. At around 5.25pm last Friday, 28 August, we were contacted by a member of the public who had been in Stanley Park which is in Anfield in Liverpool. Officers attended and sadly discovered the body of a woman in a black bin bag in the area of the walled garden.
“A postmortem took place on Saturday, 29 August, the result of which has been withheld for investigation reasons.
"I hope you understand that when we are able to share that detail, we will.
“Our team have since been carrying out extensive enquiries to identify the woman, but we have so far been unable to do so.
“We believe that her body may have been in the black bin bag at this location for a number of weeks. Forensic work relating to this continues, as do other lines of enquiry. We’re carrying out house-to-house, CCTV and other enquiries as a matter of urgency, but of course the methodical nature of such work can mean it takes time.
“So today, I want to take the opportunity to ask people to please consider whether you have any neighbours, family members or friends who live in the area, someone you may not have seen or heard from for a few weeks. Missing people reports in Merseyside and elsewhere have been checked but, so far, these have not resulted in an identification. Sometimes people go missing without those close to them realising, through holidays being planned, or simple misunderstandings, and so we may not have received a report of any concerns.
“Although we do not know the woman’s exact age, we think she was in her 70s. She is white, around 5 foot 2 inches tall, of small build, with strawberry blonde hair. She was found wearing a pink Nike t-shirt. A similar t-shirt can be seen below:
“While we do not want to worry people unnecessarily, it is vital that we follow every possible lead, both to rule people out, and ultimately to identify the woman, notify her next of kin and apprehend the offender. We have had calls in the past few days with information, and I am really grateful to those who have been in touch.
“As this work continues, be assured that we are doing all we can to identify the person or persons responsible and bring them to justice. This is a shocking crime. If you live in the area of Stanley Park in Anfield and have seen or heard anything suspicious in recent weeks, regardless of whether you have reported it or not, or whether you dismissed it as something trivial at the time, please come forward. Although we are carrying out comprehensive enquiries, any piece of CCTV, dashcam or doorbell footage may be absolutely vital in solving this crime. Please don’t assume that we already hold this information as our team will make an assessment and take the appropriate action. Thank you for your support. I will now hand you over to Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan.”
Assistant Chief Constable Andy Ryan:
“Thank you Rachel.
“I know that people will be concerned after hearing about the circumstances of Friday’s discovery, and on seeing the significant police activity in the area since. I understand how unnerving this will be, and this is the exact reason that we are so determined to get answers as soon as we possibly can. Our Neighbourhood Policing Teams will continue to speak with local residents, businesses and organisations in the coming days to try and provide as much reassurance as we can, but of course the only real reassurance will arrive when we locate the person or persons responsible.
“Stanley Park is well known as being the park that separates the Anfield and Goodison football stadiums. It is a very busy and popular green space, especially in the recent warm summer weeks. It is visited by dog walkers and families, as well as people walking and exercising. It is quite possible that one or more of these visitors may have seen something suspicious recently and not reported it at the time. If you didn’t speak to us then, please do come forward now. With hindsight, what you saw, heard or captured on devices may have carried more significance than you realised at the time. We are particularly interested in speaking to those who have been in the area of the walled gardens in Stanley Park in recent weeks.
“If you are visiting the Park in the coming days, please speak to our officers in the area to share any concerns. We have a mobile police station set up in Stanley Park, which is both to provide a visible presence alongside patrols in the area, and to gather information to support the ongoing murder investigation.
“I want to reiterate Rachel’s appeal: if anyone recognises the description of this woman or you have any concerns whatsoever about someone you may know and haven’t seen or heard from recently, please tell us as a matter of urgency.
“There are a number of ways in which you can reach out to us. Either contact us via our social media desk @MerPolCC on Facebook or X. You can also report information via our website www.merseyside.police.uk or call 101, quoting reference number 26000706383.
“A link to our dedicated Public Portal can also be found on the Merseyside Police website. This provides the facility to pass on images or footage directly to the investigation team.
“If for whatever reason you don’t feel you can speak to police directly, then please call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111, which is independent of the police.
“Thank you for your time today and we will seek to keep you updated with any key developments as we get them.”