A woman found in the River Mersey on Thursday the 21st of March has finally been identified a year after her discovery. Greater Manchester police named Laura Stanley, 38 in an article published this morning.

It is said that a family member of Laura’s saw the Digital Facial Reconstruction of the RIVER MERSEY woman and recognised this as Laura and this has been confirmed via DNA.

The article also states that Laura had been missing since January 2024 and an internal investigation will be carried out to understand if the right measures were used in Laura’s case.

Detective Inspector Louise Edwards, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “For the last twelve months, the investigation team have worked meticulously on this case, demonstrating commitment and dedication to giving Laura her identity back and reuniting her with her family and loved ones.

“I would like to pass my condolences on to all of those who knew Laura, especially her family, who we are continuing to support at this awfully difficult time.

“We will now continue to investigate Laura’s last movements and how she ultimately came to be discovered in the River Mersey just over a year ago. These are answers her family deserve and we will be keeping them updated as we carry out this work.

“I would also like to thank Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University, who created the facial reconstruction which helped a relative identify her.”

“I would also like to thank members of the public who have shared our appeals and provided us with valuable information throughout the investigation. The information has been of great benefit and I am very grateful for this.”

It is also encouraging to read that the facial reconstruction made by FaceLab at Liverpool John Moore’s university was pivotal in helping identify Laura. The people and organisations that help these cases should be honoured and it’s good to see the police update us with information on how Laura’s identity was obtained. This only help encourage us to do more and keep going.

While Laura’s family have asked for privacy at this time they have released a statement  “Laura was a kind and gentle person with a great sense of fun and adventure.

“She was generous, thoughtful, caring and always keen to volunteer within the community.

“Laura was a proud and loving mum and she will be greatly missed by her girls and all of her friends and family who loved her dearly.”

I will keep an eye out for more information on this case as it would be very important to learn from. 2025 is our year for identification and so far a number of cases have been successfully identified. The more we push these cases the more chance we have of sharing that appeal with the right person and this case is testament to that.

My thoughts go out to Laura’s family and the previous appeals will now be removed. You can find my previous appeal below for educational and research purposes.

Previous report

River Mersey

First Police Appeal

29/11/2024
Greater Manchester Police

We are appealing for information to help identify a woman who was sadly discovered in the River Mersey earlier this year.

On Thursday, 21 March, a member of the public alerted the emergency services to a body found in the river, adjacent to Chorlton Water Park.

Despite extensive work over the last eight months, including detailed forensic, DNA, and investigative work, the woman has unfortunately remained unidentified.

Further work is still to be done, but we are now in a position to release a facial reconstruction, which has been created by Face Lab at Liverpool John Moores University.

The woman was from a European background, around five feet one inches tall, with a slim build, and dark brown hair. She was likely aged between 26 and 40, though could be older or younger.

She was discovered wearing a Primark neon green strapless corset style top, New Look branded Jenna black jeans in a size 8, and dark green anti-slip socks, the type that are believed to be used in hospitals and care facilities, although they can be purchased in shops and online. She additionally had an elastic band and hair bobble on her wrist.

The woman was in the water for around one or two months – though it cannot be stated for certain exactly how long.

She may have entered the water in a surrounding area or region, with the River Tame and River Goyt both merging into the River Mersey.

Further analysis of her body is due to be completed, but her cause of death is currently being treated as unexplained. Finding out who she is will assist in establishing the circumstances in which she entered the water.

We are urging anyone who may recognise the woman, or believes they have any information, to please get in touch with us.

Detective Inspector Louise Edwards, from GMP’s Major Incident Team, said: “We have worked with numerous experts covering a wide range of forensic examinations and tests available to us, but we have sadly been unable to uncover the woman’s identity.

“We want nothing more than to reunite her with her family and friends. She could be someone’s mother, auntie, sister, or cousin – somebody out there will know who she is and we want to ensure she gets back to her loved ones.

“If you have any information at all, please do get in touch with us. Even the smallest amount of information could greatly benefit in finding out who she is, and the circumstances which led to her sadly being discovered in the river more than eight months ago.”

You can contact police by calling 101, or by using our Live Chat Service at gmp.police.uk, quoting log number 1191 of 21 March 2024. Alternatively contact the Major Incident Team Syndicate 3 directly on 0161 856 9479.

You can also contact the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111. Information can also be provided online using the dedicated Major Incident Public Portal here – Public Portal