by A woman found dead in the boot of a car in Ilford has been named by police as 24-year-old Harshita Brella.
A homicide investigation is underway after Harshita’s body was found in a vehicle in Brisbane Road, Ilford, shortly after midnight on Thursday.
Releasing her identity late Saturday, police said they believe she was “targeted” by someone she knew, but said they are “keeping an open mind.”
Harshita’s death is being investigated by the Met Police and Northamptonshire Police. No arrests have been made yet.
Northamptonshire Police said they received a call on Wednesday about concerns for Harshita’s welfare.
“Officers were deployed to her home address in Skegness Walk, Corby, and after receiving no response, launched a missing persons investigation,” a spokesman said.
“Rapid inquiries were carried out which sadly led to the discovery of a woman’s body inside the boot of a vehicle on Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of London, in the early hours of Thursday, November 14.”
Harshita is from the town of Corby in north Northamptonshire, about 90 miles north of London.
A post-mortem carried out on Friday found she had been murdered, a Northamptonshire Police spokesman said.
The force has also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC) due to a previous encounter between the force and Harshita.
Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell of the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), said in a statement late on Saturday: “Firstly, I would like to express my sincere condolences to all someone who loved Harshita Brella.
“She was a young woman in her early twenties with her whole life ahead of her and it is tragic that her life has been cut short in this way.
“Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police have been working since 2012 to establish the circumstances surrounding her death, including the exact location and time frame in which it occurred.”
DCI Campbell urged anyone with information about this incident to contact police.
“While we believe Harshita was attacked by someone she knew, we are keeping an open mind, and would ask anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have,” a he said.
“If you have seen anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We’d always rather get meaningful information that’s just nothing than not get it at all.”
A Met spokesman said: “Shortly after midnight on Thursday morning, November 14, officers from Northamptonshire police contacted the Met raising concerns for the welfare of a woman believed to be in a car in the east London area.
“The car was located in Brisbane Road, Ilford and the body of a 24-year-old woman was found inside the vehicle.”
Photos on Saturday showed a crime scene in effect outside the entrance to Valentine Park, located at the end of Brisbane Road. The entrance to the park was also taped off by the police.
A crime scene has reportedly been in place at a house in Sturton Walk on the Crosby Lincoln Estate for four days.
A neighbor told the Northamptonshire Telegraph that last year around 12 people lived there and it was subject to noise complaints at one point.
They said that the number of people living there has decreased since then, and that people of different European nationalities live there.
They reported hearing a bang earlier in the week, telling the Northamptonshire Telegraph that she heard “banging coming from the house” then heard the gate slam.
“The way that gate slammed I knew something had happened,” she said. “Someone got off fast.
“I heard banging coming from the house and it’s clear they stepped on it.”
The residential street is about half a mile long, starting on the main road Ley Street and intersecting several other residential streets, before coming to a dead end at the popular green space of Valentine Park, which it runs alongside for 500 feet.
Superintendent Freeman said: “Detectives from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit are working quickly to establish the circumstances leading to the woman’s death.
“The investigation is ongoing and there will be ongoing police activity over the weekend in various locations, including Corby and Ilford.
“While we believe this was a targeted incident and there is no wider risk to members of the public, additional patrols will be taking place in Corby over the coming days for reassurance purposes.
“Anyone with any concerns is welcome to contact one of these officers who will be happy to assist, and anyone with information that could assist our inquiries is asked to contact us on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”
