Last modified on Fri 7 May 2021 11.37 EDT
A woman whose body was found in bushes in an east London suburb is believed to have been murdered, according to police.
Maria Jane Rawlings, 45, was found dead in Little Heath, Romford, by a man walking his dog at about 2pm on Tuesday.
A postmortem carried out on Wednesday gave the preliminary cause of death as neck compression and possible blunt force head trauma, it has emerged.
The Metropolitan police appealed for information from the public as it launched a murder investigation, and sought to address fears about safety in the area, particularly among women.
It is believed that while walking on this road, someone may have approached Maria.
Det Ch Insp David Hillier, leading the investigation, said: My team and I are working around the clock following a number of enquiries in our work to establish what happened to Maria. Her family are understandably distraught and we are doing all we can to help them as they begin to come to terms with their loss. Now I am asking for the public to help us. I want to hear from anyone who knew Maria and knows about where she had been and who she had been associating with.
A woman whose body was found in shrubbery is believed to have been murdered. Maria Jane Rawlings, 45, who lived in the Chelmsford area of Essex, was found dead in Little Heath, Romford, east London, by a man walking his dog at around 2pm on Tuesday. The Metropolitan Police said a post-mortem examination gave the mother-of-two’s preliminary cause of death as neck compression and possible blunt force head trauma. Officers are still examining the scene and are expected to remain in the area in the coming days. On Monday evening, Ms Rawlings attended the King George Hospital in Goodmayes, Ilford, before leaving on foot to Barley Lane in the direction of the A12.
“Our thoughts and prayers go to Maria’s friends and family at this terrible time. I would urge anyone who has any information which may help the police with their investigation to please come forward. The police have already increased their presence on our streets, and as a council, we stand ready to help them in any way we can to catch the perpetrator.”
Det Ch Insp David Hillier, who is leading the investigation, said: “My team and I are working around the clock, following a number of inquiries in our work to establish what happened to Maria.
“Her family are understandably distraught and we are doing all we can to help them as they begin to come to terms with their loss.
A woman whose body was found in shrubbery is believed to have been murdered. Maria Jane Rawlings, 45, who lived in the Chelmsford area of Essex, was found dead in Little Heath, Romford, east London, by a man walking his dog at around 2pm on Tuesday. The Metropolitan Police said a post-mortem examination gave the mother-of-two’s preliminary cause of death as neck compression and possible blunt force head trauma. Officers are still examining the scene and are expected to remain in the area in the coming days. On Monday evening, Ms Rawlings attended the King George Hospital in Goodmayes, Ilford, before leaving on foot to Barley Lane in the direction of the A12.