Woman dubbed ‘The Lady of the Hills’ after her half-naked body was found in the Yorkshire Dales 15 years ago could be Thai bride of British man, say relatives
- Thai family come forward saying they believe the woman is a family member
- Cause of death not registered, but police believe she may have been murdered
- Detectives confirmed they have received a possible name and inquires ongoing
A Thai family has told police they believe a woman thought to have been murdered and dumped in a Yorkshire Dales stream could be their relative.
Cold case detectives investigating the death of an unknown woman found in a stream in 2004 near Pen-y-ghent have confirmed they have received a possible name and inquiries are ongoing.
Her half-naked body was found by walkers on the Pennine Way and investigators believe she may have been killed and taken to the stream in a 4×4.
A police artist’s impression of the woman who came to be known as the Lady of the Hills (pictured)
The gravestone of the woman in Horton-in-Ribblesdale parish churchyard, North Yorkshire, where she was buried in 2007
Cause of death for the woman, dubbed ‘the Lady of the Hill’s, was not established and a 2007 inquest recorded an open verdict.
A press conference in north east Thailand revealed a family had come forward to say the missing woman could be their family member, the BBC reported.
Photographs of the missing woman along with an artist impression released by the British police were published as part of an attempt to trace the victim’s family.
North Yorkshire Police said last year they believed the woman was a ‘Thai bride’ who had come to England to marry a local man.
The stream near Sell Gill Holes caves where the unnamed woman was found. A cause of death was never registered
Retired detective chief Inspector Adam Harland, who is leading the cold case investigation, pictured at the stream near Sell Gill Holes caves, where the body was found
Advanced tests revealed the woman lived in north Lancashire or south Cumbria.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: ‘The Cold Case Review Unit has received a name regarding the unknown South East Asian woman who was found dead on Pen-y-Ghent in 2004.
‘Inquiries are ongoing to establish the identity of the woman.’
The force appealed for anyone with information to call 101.
A funeral for the unnamed woman found on the Yorkshire Dales was held at St Oswald’s parish church in September 2007