A woman who was discovered murdered in the boot of a car in east London has been named by police.
Harshita Brella was reported missing on November 13 by the authorities after Northamptonshire Police conducted a welfare check at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby and got no answer.
Tragically a day later the 24-year-old was discovered in the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road, Ilford.
A forensic postmortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday, confirmed that Harshita had been murdered.
No arrests have yet been made, but the police have said that they believe Harshita was attacked by someone known to her.
Police officers have claimed that the incident is an isolated one and there is no wider threat to the public, but a crime scene remains in place with the road cordoned off.
Northamptonshire Police has also referred themselves to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact they had with her.
Harshita Brella was reported missing on November 13 by the authorities after Northamptonshire Police conducted a welfare check at her home in Skegness Walk, Corby and got no answer
Map showing the location that Harshita’s body was discovered on Brisbane road
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), said: ‘First of all, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella.
‘She was a young woman in her early 20s with her whole life ahead of her and it is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way.
‘Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.’
DCI Campbell is appealing to anyone who may have information about this incident to come forward.
He said: ‘Although we believe Harshita was attacked by someone known to her, we are keeping an open mind, and would appeal to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have.
‘If you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.’
The body of the woman was found in the boot of a car on Brisbane Road, pictured, in Ilford
A murder investigation is ongoing after a woman’s body was found in a car boot near the entrance of Valentines Park in Ilford, East London
One neighbour told the Northampton Chronicle that the house involved had been used as an HMO (house in multiple occupation), and at one point last year had 12 people living in it, although it is not currently on the council’s HMO register.
The number of occupants has since reduced. The neighbour said she believed that the house had Bulgarian, Moldovan and Portuguese residents and had been largely peaceful since some noise complaints were resolved last year.
But earlier this week she heard a commotion: ‘The way that gate slammed I knew something had happened. Someone took off quickly.
‘I had heard banging coming from the house and then they obviously just legged it.
‘The police have been here about four days.’
Anyone who may have information that could assist police inquiries is asked to contact police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
