The devastated family of the barmaid murdered in London’s Finsbury Park at Christmas have called for her killer to be caught and ‘punished’.
Iuliana Tudos, 22, went missing on Christmas Eve and her body was found by her friends three days later.
Her ‘distraught’ family, who are from Moldova and Cyprus, have demanded her killer is found and punished.
Iuliana’s aunt Aliona Tudos, 43, from the Moldovan capital Chisinau, kept in close touch with the barmaid, and said she did not have a boyfriend and ‘no enemies’.
The body of Iuliana Tudos, 22, was found in a ‘terrible state’ in 500 yards from her front door in Finsbury Park, North London – three days after she disappeared on Christmas Eve
Police said Iuliana had been stabbed in the abdomen, had a head injury and lay undiscovered for three days
There have been claims that a homeless man living in a tent in the park maybe be able to provide further information after police were seen investigating a campsite (shown)
Iuliana’s mother Alina (shown left with her daughter) has flown to London to assist police. Her paternal aunt and godmother Aliona Tudos (right) said she would have fought back
There have been claims that a homeless man living in a tent in the park maybe be able to provide further information after police were seen investigating a campsite.
‘She was working and studying and never got herself in trouble,’ she said.
‘When she went missing I asked her friends if that ever happened to her before and they told me that she had never disappeared before and would never turn off her phone.
‘The police contacted me on Thursday. I told them everything I know and I hope that helps.
‘It can’t bring her back but the person or people who did it to her should be punished. Even if you are the best Christian you cannot forgive this.
‘From what I hear, she was just following her usual route from her workplace back home. She took that route many times.’
She said: ‘It might sound trivial but I encourage girls – and not only girls – to carry the pepper spray with them, or anything else that could protect them.
‘Iuliana is that kind of girl who would fight back. But she didn’t have anything to protect her.
Her body was found in a ‘terrible state’ in an outbuilding next to a sports pitch only 500 yards from her front door in Finsbury Park, North London
‘She probably never thought that would happen to her. Just like most of us don’t.
‘I loved her dearly and I still love her and I’ll keep loving her. And all our family will. I just hope that whoever did this to her will get the punishment he deserves.’
The dead woman’s mother Elina Vasiliu and father both flew to London after being informed by police of her tragic death.
Aliona said that Iuliana had been on her way to a Christmas dinner with friends when she vanished.
‘Her friends started searching for her from the very beginning.
‘They were posting the pictures of her saying she went missing, started searching through the area on her way back home from work, and called the hospitals.
‘Yulia was not the type of girl who would just disappear. She was very close to her friends and they always were together.
‘She was very friendly and didn’t have any enemies. I’ve never heard that she got into an argument with anyone, or made any enemies.
‘I didn’t hear that someone was threatening here either. She was a very nice and likeable person.
Police hunting for the rock club worker’s killer have sent in a diving team to dredge the park’s river for the knife used to stab her in the stomach
A tent also appeared today next to the ‘New River’ that runs through the centre of the park around 100 yards or so from where the body was found
Specialist officers are forensically examining a tent and a purple suitcase found inside around 100 yards away with specialist divers searching the river next to it in Finsbury Park
‘Besides, she was getting an education there and working and she didn’t even have enough time for all that.
‘She was a friendly and honest girl. And was close with her friends. It was actually very rare that she would be alone.
‘She was renting a place with a friend – and she usually spending time with her friends. She didn’t have a boyfriend, so it was her and her friends usually.
‘She always talked about how amazing they were, and I got to experience how they kept fighting to find her all this time.
‘I’m not only her aunt but also her godmother*.we would often talk.’
One line of inquiry Scotland Yard is considering is that she was killed as she attempted to fend off a drifter who was trying to rob her.
Her body was found by friends three days later in a ‘terrible state’, 100 yards from the tent of a homeless man.
Ms Tudos, who also called herself ‘Julie’, was from Moscow and worked at the World’s End pub in Camden, according to her Facebook page and neighbours
A forensic team examined the tent and a purple suitcase found inside as detectives attempt to ‘piece together a timeline’. Divers also searched a river next to the tent.
The outbuilding where the Russian barmaid’s body was found – just 500 yards from her front door – is popular with the homeless, locals said.
One of Miss Tudos’s neighbours said he often saw her walk through the park to get home.
‘We all walk through the park a lot so for this to happen so close is very scary,’ he said. ‘It’s so sad, she was so young.’
Serena Mendes, 36, who lives nearby, said: ‘I walk here a lot with my children and it can be very dangerous at night. There is not much light on the footpaths, especially down towards the old cricket pavilion. It is very frightening to see all the police activity now.’
The alarm was raised when Miss Tudos, known to friends as Julie, did not arrive for work at a pub in Camden on Boxing Day.
Friends left flowers and tributes at the park. A friend called Rosie wrote: ‘My dear Julie, my beautiful flatmate, our lives won’t be the same without you. My heart is burning. Justice will never be served enough. Your memory will live on.’
Des Fahey, the Met’s acting Islington borough commander, said some of Miss Tudos’s personal items were missing, and police were still searching for a murder weapon. He added: ‘There is a tent used by homeless people, there are a lot of homeless people in the park and that forms part of the inquiry.’
Today Iuliana’s devastated flatmate Rosie said: ‘Justice will never be served enough’ as her killer remained on the loose.
She left a letter for her ‘sweet’ and ‘beautiful’ friend yards from where she was found murdered and wrote: ‘Our lives won’t be the same without you. So young, so beautiful, taken from us far too early.
‘I will only ever hold on to the good memories. I will miss you every day. My heart is burning. Your memory will live on’.
Another friend, Chloe, also left a note for her at the scene which said: ‘I can’t believe this happened to such a sweet girl’.
A woman looks at messages and flowers left in tribute to Iuliana Tudos
Passersby stop to read messages and flowers left in tribute to murdered Iuliana Tudos, who was found in a north London park in Finsbury Park
Iuliana’s flatmate Rosie left a letter for her friend at the scene of her murder today and said: ‘Justice will never be served enough’
Another friend of Julie’s, Chloe, paid tribute to her ‘happy and bubbly’ friend and described her love of McDonalds and tattoos
A tent sitting behind a row of trees behind the outbuilding where her body was found has been taped off by police.
The orange and dark grey tent was erected between the river and tall trees, and also has a purple suitcase sitting outside.
Police have taped off the area around the softball field and the surrounding parkland, as well as a separate cordon for the tent.
Jon Savage, 56, who lives in Finsbury Park, said: ‘There are quite a few homeless people in the park, they put up tents near trees.
‘There’s always a couple dotted around no matter the weather.
‘During the summer there are a lot more homeless people sleeping rough all over the park. Some just sleep on old mattresses.
‘It can be quite intimidating. They also sleep rough under Finsbury Park Bridge and Stroud Green Bridge near the station.
‘They even set up bedrooms with furniture and mattresses.
‘It got so bad earlier in the year they all had to be moved on from under the bridge by the council.’
Iuliana’s friend Sonny, who called her his ‘little sis’, said he loved her ‘to the stars and back’
More floral tributes to Iuliana Tudos adorn a fence erected by police as they carry out forensic investigations
Flowers and messages are tied to the railings next to the taped off crime scene in Finsbury Park today
Miss Tudos worked at the famous World’s End pub in Camden and was beloved by colleagues and regulars
Police were looking through leaves under the trees close to the crime scene this afternoon
Specialist teams including officers with sniffer dogs were searching the riverbank close to the tent as divers entered the water
£5,000 raised online in 12 hours to pay for murdered bar worker’s funeral
Friends are raising money to pay for Julia’s funeral
A fundraiser to cover the costs of Iuliana Tudos’ funeral has raised nearly £5,000 in just 12 hours.
The 22-year-old’s body was discovered in Finsbury Park, North London, on Wednesday having been missing since Christmas Eve.
The GoFundMe page, set up by Krystyna Rymarczyk (doub corr), has been overwhelmed with donation of £4,952 raised by 297 people in 12 hours, smashing its goal of £4,000.
She wrote: ‘We are fundraising for Julie Tudos 22-year old bartender from World’s End pub in Camden Town who was brutally murdered on Christmas Eve in Finsbury Park in London on her way home from work.
‘We would like to help her family to cover funeral expenses in this difficult time for them, this is what we can do for Julie.’
The page has been shared almost 800 times on Facebook, with some people donating more than £100.
Brigitta Meszaros posted ‘I miss you so much Lilith I hope you’re in the anime and LOTR Heaven where is all you can eat food of your favourites and plenty games and movies for you to watch.
‘I miss you and I love you wifey ‘
Federico Pernigotto wrote: ‘I’ve been at the underworld in camden town several time and remember her as a positive and nice soul and person, my most sincere condolences for the terrible loss to the parents, relatives, family and friends.’
Gabriele Cassano added: ‘Rest in Peace. You were an amazing human being x
‘Take me down this road Just to see the smile on your face Take me down this road All that is and that was can’t be replaced Take me down this road Once more’
And Terence Henry Conlon said: ‘Our child of Camden blessed all the hearts that knew her.’
The tragic barmaid, who was originally from Russia, died as a result of a stab wound to the abdomen and a head injury.
A crowdfunding page has been launched to pay for Iuliana’s funeral and loved-ones have rushed to give tributes to the popular bar worker, who was also known as Julie or Juliana.
Eleni Sakka, from Nicosia, Cyprus, posted a photo of herself with the murder victim and said: ‘Rest in peace my angel. Goodbye my Angel. Goodbye my one and only true best friend’.
Miss Tudos worked at the famous World’s End pub in Camden and was beloved by colleagues and regulars.
On Facebook she described herself as: ‘Miss Sass. Sarcasm & profanity. Cynicism. Geek. Lone wolf. Camden punk’ and said she was a ‘happy slave’ at the club and pub.
Miss Tudos, who was 5ft 1in tall, was last seen at 8pm on Christmas Eve getting on a bus from Camden to Finsbury Park and may have decided to take the 13-minute short cut from her local bus stop through the park in the dark when she was attacked.
Her neighbour Sebastian Jonathan said: ‘She was a very nice person, young and gorgeous.
‘I met her twice when she came over for beers when we had barbecues last summer.
‘The police refused to give me any information, I had to Google it to see that she was the one found in the park.’
A neighbour who lives in the above flat described Julie as a ‘cool girl’ and said: ‘She worked a lot, had a lot of friends.
‘It’s so sad, she was so young, we all walk through the park a lot so for this to happen so close is very scary.
‘I don’t know much else about her as I would only see her occasionally as she was often out working.
‘She lived with flatmates, I only know one, an Italian guy called Andre.’
Her friend Sonny Webb, who had been sharing appeals before her body was found, posted a picture of them together and the message: ‘Just feel broken’.
Iuliana had been taking a short cut through the park when she was assaulted by the stranger on Christmas Eve, police believe.
Her body, which friends said was in a ‘terrible state’, lay undiscovered for three days.
Fears grew after Miss Tudos, who is from Moscow, failed to show up for work at 4pm on Boxing Day at the World’s End pub in Camden.
When her landlord opened her locked bedroom in a shared house, her passport and all her belongings were found untouched.
Iuliana Tudos’ best friend Eleni Sakka, from Nicosia, Cyprus, posted a photo of herself with the murder victim and said: ‘Rest in peace my angel’ as police hunted for her killer today
A crowdfunding page has been launched to pay for Iuliana’s funeral and loved-ones have rushed to give tributes to the popular bar worker, who was also known as Julie or Juliana
Friend Senya Taylor posted a number of pictures together with the murder victim after her tragic death
Police are trying to piece together a timeline of events and are pursuing a number of lines of enquiry and are trying to establish if she was attacked by a stranger or someone who knew her
Friends criticised police saying officers only treated her disappearance as ‘medium risk’ when she was first reported missing, despite it being out of character.
But officers said the report was taken very seriously from the outset.
Her friend Laszlo Judit posted several pictures on Facebook of the heavily tattooed barmaid smiling with friends.
Miss Tudos, who is from Moscow, failed to show up for work at 4pm on Boxing Day at the World’s End pub in Camden
She wrote: ‘Juliana Lilith Tudos has gone missing on the 24th of December 8pm, latest time of any kind of interaction we know about was with me saying that she was gonna come back to my place to spend Christmas together. She hasn’t been online, her phone is off and she’s not at home, hasn’t showed up for work. Our friend at the police said we have to wait 72 hours to report it.’
Hours later, she added: ‘Finished with the police, normally for adults the risk is low but they put this one in medium risk since it’s a highly unusual behaviour.’
Miss Tudos’s body was found by a member of the public around 4.30pm on Wednesday. A post-mortem examination last night established how she was killed. No arrests have been made.
Detective Chief Inspector Nicola Wall said: ‘Iuliana’s body was discovered in an outbuilding next to a sports pitch. We believe that she may have been attacked on Christmas Eve, but we want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in that part of Finsbury Park over the Christmas period.
‘We are still trying to piece together a timeline of events and are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry as regards to a motive.’
Det Chief Insp Wall added: ‘Our inquiries from CCTV footage have now ascertained that Iuliana was seen on the periphery of the park on Christmas Eve, shortly after 20.20 hrs.
‘We want to hear from anyone who saw, had contact with, or heard from Iuliana after this time.
‘We’d also like to hear from anybody who saw anything suspicious within the park over the Christmas period.’
The Metropolitan Police said extra officers have been deployed in the area to try to help reassure the community.
Anyone with information is asked to call the dedicated incident room on 0208 785 8244, tweet @MetCC or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
‘Julie’ was due to meet them at a friend’s home in Enfield, north-east London, later that evening before spending Christmas Day there, but never arrived
Police found Ms Tudos in the heart of Finsbury park yesterday. Pictured are forensics officers investigating the crime scene
A forensics officer photographs a discarded item of clothing left on the grass as they hunt for her killer
Police said Miss Tudos was wearing glasses and was carrying a black and white fabric bag with ‘Fighting against Animal Testing’ written on it
The World’s End pub in Camden, north London where Ms Tudos worked as a barmaid
Fears grew after Miss Tudos, who is from Moscow, failed to show up for work at 4pm on Boxing Day at the World’s End pub in Camden – she lay undiscovered in a park for three days
Friends said Iuliana was ‘very kind, fun, and life-loving’ with a passion for music