Credit: INTERPOL/Operation Identify Me
The woman in the well. The woman with the flower tattoo. The burned body in the forest. The body in the carpet. The woman by the motorway. These are just a few of the 22 unidentified woman police from three European Countries are trying to identify as part of INTERPOL’s Operation Identify Me.
Details on each case have been made available on the Operation Identify Me campaign page. This marks the first time INTERPOL has made public some details of so-called “Black Notices,” which are used internally with partner agencies to seek information and intelligence on unidentified bodies and determine the circumstances surrounding death.
“Black Notices allow law enforcement agencies to collaborate and share information across borders, ultimately helping to bring closure to the families of the deceased and bring offenders to justice,” said Susan Hitchin, Coordinator of INTERPOL’s DNA Unit. “Advances in technology across the different fields of forensic human identification have been significant in helping solve cold cases.”
In general, black notices include information on the location where the body was found, physical descriptions of the body or clothing, and any other details that might be relevant to identifying the deceased.
22 Unidentified Women
The 22 bodies—all woman presumably murdered—were found in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany between 1976 and 2019. Seven cases are from Belgian, six from Germany and nine from the Netherlands.
“Most of the 22 victims died violently, and some were also abused or starved before they died,” said Carina van Leeuwen and Martin de Wit in a statement by the Netherlands Police, who initiated the public appeal. “Partly because the women are likely from countries other than where they were found, their identities have not yet been established. It is possible that their bodies were left in our countries to impede criminal investigations.”
The Operation Identify Me website features facial reconstructions of some of the murdered women, as well as videos and pictures of evidence such as jewelry and clothing found at the various land and water sites where the women’s remains were recovered. The page also includes characteristics such as estimated age, hair color, eye color and other physical characteristics, including tattoos and other unique markers that could be used for recognition purposes.
“We want to stress that we are looking for names,” said Carolien Opdecam of the Belgian police. “The victim’s identity is often the key to unlocking the mysteries of a case.”
“In similar investigations, establishing the victim’s identity ultimately has led to the arrest of a suspect,” added Anja Allendorf of the German police.
From 1976 to 2019
The oldest case in Operation Identify Me is that of a woman found on Oct. 24, 1976, who was estimated to have been murdered in the few months prior. “The Girl in the Parking Lot” was found by hikers in a parking lot in the Netherlands hidden under soil and branches. With light skin and auburn hair, the young woman was estimated to be between 13 and 20 years old at the time of her murder.
Subsequent isotope analysis indicated a high likelihood that the girl or young woman came from Germany. She was probably born in the late 1950s or early 1960s and grew up in the Rhine valley area, the area south of Cologne and Bonn. There are also indications that she may have come from the border area between Germany and Czech Republic (the region between Dresden and Prague).
Over a two-year period in the mid-1970s, the woman most likely moved in stages from Eastern Europe (possibly Poland or Ukraine) to Western Europe (possibly Germany or the Netherlands). During this time, she may have known a period of malnutrition, probably during the last 14 months of her life.
At the opposite end of the date range, Belgium police are looking for the name of a woman whose body was found on Aug. 29, 2019 in the city of Liege, not far from the border with the Netherlands. A passerby discovered the partially charred skeleton of the woman in a public park.
The woman, who was likely murdered between March and August, was estimated to be 35 to 45 years old at the time of her murder. She is presumed to be of African descent with dark skin and long, black braided hair.
At the time of discovery, she was wearing a jacket with a monogram on the buttons with the letters “HCC”, with the Cs intertwined. Investigator think the buttons could be from the French navy. The sleeve had five braided ropes.
INTERPOL is asking the public to engage with the Operation Identify Me page “if you remember a friend, family member or colleague who suddenly disappeared.”