Woman found murdered in car boot in Ilford named as Harshita Brella
The 24-year-old from Corby was found over 80 miles from her home.
Last updated 17th Nov 2024
Police have named a woman from Corby whose body was found in East London as Harshita Brella.
The 24-year-old's body was found in the boot of a car in Ilford in the early hours of Thursday morning (14th November).
The two police forces- Northamptonshire Police and the Metropolitan Police- investigating the death have launched a murder inquiry after the "suspicious" discovery on Brisbane Road - which is more than 80 miles away from where she lived.
The finding came about after Northamptonshire Police received a call on Wednesday regarding concerns for Harshita’s welfare.
Officers were deployed to her home address in Skegness Walk, Corby, and, after getting no answer, launched a missing person investigation for her.
Fast-track enquiries were then made which led to the discovery of Ms Brella's body inside the boot of a vehicle in the Ilford area of East London.
A forensic postmortem examination- which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday (November 15th)- established that she had been murdered.
Northamptonshire Police has also made a self-referral to an independent watchdog; the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
This is custom in cases where there has been previous contact between the Force and the murdered victim.
'Whole life ahead of her'
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.”
'Keeping an open mind'
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.”
Police officers are satisfied there is no wider risk to the public as a result of this incident, however extra patrols will be taking place in Corby in the coming days for reassurance purposes.