Case Number: 06-024019

Blank Case Number: 461

This case is in the process of being updated.

This weeks case consists of a woman found battered to death and found by three young girls out riding near a bridle path in Goudhurst, Kent near to Bedgebury Forest. What they found that day, no doubt changed their lives and my thoughts remain with them.

The story of the woman with Hazel eyes has captured many true crime enthusiasts over the years, the case itself was subject to a very high profile media campaign which consisted of press releases, poster campaigns and was featured on the first series of Crimewatch.

For decades, we as a community have tried to find the answer to who this woman was and get her the justice she deserves. She became a symbol of domestic abuse, reminding woman and men how serious things can get. As time went on, police drip fed the public with information about the case, as a number of murders across the country had sparked fears into women all over the country.

Crimewatch the popular UK tv series in which host Nick Ross and Sue Cook both appealed to the public to help solve crimes featured the case of The woman with hazel eyes and tips began to roll in.

The Discovery

It was 2:30pm on Tuesday 23rd of October 1979 when three young’s girls from a local private school which cost £615 a year, were out riding horses close to a bridle path next to the 3,000 acre Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst, Kent. Close to the path was a small copse, the three girls saw underneath some sticks lay a body of a woman.

The area

Goudhurst, Kent us a picturesque village located around 12 miles south of Maidstone, Kent.Known for their apple orchards, Pinetum and historical architecture.

Bedgebury Forest is a known beauty spot for locals of Kent and was frequented by many people during the good weather and autumn months. Police were hopeful someone would have seen the unknown woman and possibly her killer as the area was thriving at the time.

A Pinetum is a large collection of Pine trees collected for their ornamental and scientific significance. The Pinetum which is home to world’s largest and most complete collection of conifers and has a splendid display of autumn foliage is a plant lovers dream.

Search for clues

Goudhurst Constabulary were called and they soon cordoned off the area to look for further clues. Reports suggest police were looking for the unknown woman’s shoes, ring and bag. Close by police found a wooden peg covered in the unknown woman’s blood, that seemingly was used to batter the woman to death.

Police theorized the woman may have been a traveling fruit picker, who traveled from county to county in search of seasonal work. Tests showed her lungs were very clean, indicating she may have grown up in the country.

The unidentified woman was so badly beaten that police knew he would be hard to identify and they had to ask for external help in generating a artists impression of the woman.

A dental inspection showed the woman most likely never had any dental treatment and her teeth were in a bad state although she had no nicotine stains on them, which police concluded that she was not a smoker.

Pregnant

Tests showed the unidentified woman was also 4 – 6 weeks pregnant, sadly the pregnancy was ectopic and would have caused the unidentified woman some discomfort/pain and she may have been bleeding due to this.

Biological Child

Not only was the unknown woman 4-6 weeks pregnant, she may have also had a child which she may have carried full term. It is possible that one day, if that child exists, they may share their DNA or maybe one of their own may share their DNA. We may find who she is.

The unknown woman’s clothing’s also brought some decent leads. after being featured on crime watch a female recognized the dress as one that she had made and donated for a charity auction in Evesham for the Salvation Army around a year prior. It was very likely the the unknown woman was the successful bidder in that auction.

Evesham

• 2:30pm Tuesday 23 October 1979
• Body
• Thin/medium build (online reports vary)
• White European
• Female
• aged between 25 – 35
• 155cm (5 ft 1 ins)
• Shoulder length Brown Hair
• Hazel eyes / Brown eyes
• Straight Nose
• Round Face
• Large or crooked front teeth (news reports vary)
• 4 – 6 weeks pregnant
• Stretchmarks on stomach indicating she may have carried a child into full term.
• Bridle path near Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst, Kent, England
• Kent county constabulary

Below is all the information provided by the UK Missing Persons Unit (UKMPU) about case number: 06-024019, after utilizing public records, media reports and databases we have found so much information that seemingly is not readily available to the public, some information is hidden behind paywalls, in obscure places or even just lost over time.

Circumstances

The body of a female was found in woodland at Bedgebury Forest, near Goudhurst, Kent.

Facts

• 23 October 1979
• Body
• Thin
• White European
• Female
• aged between 30 – 35
• 155cm (5 ft 1 ins)
• Shoulder length Brown Hair
• Hazel eyes
• Goudhurst, Kent, England
• Kent county constabulary

Clothing

• Belt – Belt – 2.5″ wide fabric belt with gold buckle

• Footwear – Shoes – Black shoes

• Dress – Floral – Black and white flowered smock

• Jumper – Polo neck – Black polo neck jumper with off-white shoulders

• Shirt/blouse – Blouse – Yellow blouse

While we don’t know the name of this unidentified female, she does have a story, and it’s up to us to document these cases in the hopes that the public, media, and content creators will use this information to appeal for help.

It takes one person to see one article, image or poster to know there might be a potential match to someone they knew. we just have to make them see it, by getting as many people involved I think we have a great potential to solving this case and actually getting justice for the unidentified woman.

Because someone, somewhere knows who this woman is, and someone somewhere else knows who killed her.

The mystery started at around 2:30pm on Tuesday the 23rd of October 1979, three young female students from the private school close to Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst, Kent were out riding horses with their teacher when they came across the body of a female lying in a copse next to a narrow bridle path.

The police were called and they soon arrived and cordoned off the area to search for further clues to who the unidentified woman was. They also knew, this wasn’t any normal death, the police knew straight away that this woman had been attacked, so badly so that her face was left unrecognizable.

So what did we find out about this case?

Firstly we know there is more to The One with Hazel Eye‘s description, although she was beaten badly, police shared with the media that the woman had a “round face” and a straight nose, along with shoulder length dark brown hair, hazel eyes and her front teeth protruded a little bit.

While the UKMPU sates the unknown female was of slim build, there is some contradiction in older reports stating the unknown woman with Hazel eyes was of medium build. In today’s standard It would be inappropriate for a police office to comment on the attractiveness of a victims body, some conversation was had back in 1979 when the One with Hazel Eyes was discovered and the main stream newspapers printed numerous articles in the hopes to solve the “mystery”.

While one article nailed it for me with how compassionate the author Mr Peter Mason was when he wrote “THEY call her The Woman Who Never Was, Someone, somewhere, knew her and loved her.” and these words still ring true today.

Upon further research more information about the woman’s clothing came to light. While the UKMPU provides small details about these cases, a more vivid description existed. While the One with Hazel Eyes is described as wearing a ” Yellow blouse” it was found that the woman in fact wore a pale green and yellow striped blouse.

We also see that the woman wore a pair of brown tights. Test were carried out and there seem to have been no indication of foul play in a sexual manner. Further tests carried out also showed that the unknown woman was 6 weeks pregnant, which indicates that she may have had a sexual relationship with a unknown male.

Tests also showed the pregnancy was ectopic and would have caused the One with Hazel eyes some discomfort before her death. Could this pregnancy have caused issues in an ongoing relationship this woman may have had? Or was the fact that her shoes and handbag were missing evidence of a violent robbery? The police and the press believed at the time that the attack seemed personal and the lack of any loved ones coming forward gave all the hallmarks of domestic abuse.

In the real world there are many variables that could tell the One with Hazel eye’s story differently. Could it be she had some horrific accident whilst innocently waiting for her lover? What if her lover never knew of the pregnancy and the unknown woman was attacked by some crazed lunatic? what about the lack of evidence to suggest the crime was sexually motivated? Surely the head injuries tell us it was personal or could it be she reminded another of someone else? What if the pregnancy had caused turmoil in her home and she ran away leaving her family behind? What if her family thought she was off living her life somewhere else? We won’t know until we name her.

The spot itself was a known beauty spot, which was very popular with locals of Goudhurst, Kent. The school from where the three young girls had come from and released a small statement to confirm the unknown woman was not connected with them.

Evening News (London) – Wednesday 24 October 1979

Image © Daily Mail & General Trust. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Murder mystery of girl in forest

Detectives were trying today to solve the mystery of an unidentified brunette fund battered to death in a Kent Forest.

The young woman’s body was found yesterday by three girls out riding in Bedgebury Park, near Goudhurst, Kent.

“We don’t know who she is.” said the detective leading the murder squad. There is nothing to identify her – no handbag, no jewellery, no birthmarks.”

Chief inspector Brett Laverick and his team are also seeking to establish if she was murdered at the spot or dumped after being attacked elsewhere.

A police spokesman said the dead woman had very severe head injuries, but that there was no evidence to suggest sexual assault.

He said “the body had been lying beside the track for some time. It was not buried or concealed in any way, and could have been there for up to 48 hours before it was found by the riders.

“We are appealing to anybody who used the bridleway running close to Park house in Bedgebury Forest from Sunday Midday onward to come forward. We have no clues as to who the dead woman is or where she came from”

The victim is described as aged between 25 – 35, 5ft 1ins tall with dark brown shoulder length hair, hazel eyes. a round face and straight nose.

She was wearing a black and white flowered smock, a pale green and yellow striped blouse, a black polo necked jumper with off white shoulder areas and brown tights.

The girls who made the discovery came from the nearby riding stables, owned by Bedgebury Park School. But a spokeswoman at the girls school – boarding fees £615 a year- said the dead woman was not connected with them

Daily Express – Wednesday 24 October 1979

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

A MURDER hunt began last night after the body of a woman was found in a forest.

The discovery was made by three people out walking in Bedgebury Forest, Kent.

The forest Tracks are popular walks for local people from the nearby villages of Goudhurst and Cranbrook.

Last night police had sealed off the area where the body was found.

It was later confirmed that the woman had died from head injuries. Investigations were still going on to establish her identity.

A detective said “We do not know at this stage whether the woman, in her 30s died at the spot where she was found.”

Kent & Sussex Courier – Friday 26 October 1979

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Massive hunt for mystery girl’s killer

A MASSIVE murder hunt was launched on the Weald on Tuesday when the bloodstained body of a woman was found battered to death in Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst. The woman aged between 25 and 30 has still not been identified. She had been brutally attacked and died from severe head injuries.

She was found laying in a wooded copse at the back of Bedgebury Pinetum, about a mile of the Goudhurst to Firmwell road, by three young horse rides at 2:30pm on Tuesday. Police immediately cordoned off the area. and the search began for the murder weapon and clues to the woman’s identity.

Home office pathologist Peter Vanezis began a postmortem on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday Det-supt Brian Kendall of County Police Headquarters, said it revealed that the injuries were caused by a number of blows with a blunt instrument. The victim could have been killed at any time after midday on Sunday.

The victim is described as 5ft 1ins tall, with dark brown shoulder length hair, hazel eyes, a round face and straight nose. She was wearing a black and with flowered smock, with white belt, and pale green and yellow stripped blouse, a black polo-necked jumper with black and white areas and brown tights.

Liverpool Daily Post (Welsh Edition) – Saturday 27 October 1979

Image © Reach PLC.

Mold murder probe

MURDER squad detective traveled to Mold yesterday to interview a man in connection with a brutal murder, in Kent.

But a spokesperson said the interview was only one of “several dozen” being carried out.

A 31-year old man was picked up in Mold on Thursday night.

A spokesman at Goudhurst, Kent where a still-unidentified brunette was found battered to death on Tuesday said last night: “The Mold inquiry has no special status”

Sevenoaks Chronicle and Kentish Advertiser – Saturday 27 October 1979

Image © Reach PLC.

MASSIVE HUNT FOR GIRL KILLER

A MASSIVE murder hunt was launched in the Weald on Tuesday when the bloodstained body of a woman was found battered to death in Bedgebury Forest, Gouldhurst. The woman aged between 20 – 35, has still not been identified. She had been brutally attacked and died from severe head injuries.

She was found lying in a wooded copse at the back of Bedgebury Pinetum, about a mile off the Gouldhurst to Firmwell road by three young horse riders at 2:30pm on Tuesday. Police immediately cordoned off the area and the search began for the murder weapon and clues to the woman’s identity.

Home office pathologist Peter Vanezis began a postmortem on Tuesday night, and on Wednesday, Det – Supt Brian Kendall, of County Police Headquarters, said it revealed that injuries had been caused by a number of blows with a blunt instrument. The victim could have been killed at any time after midday on Sunday.

The victim is described as 5ft 1in tall, with dark brown shoulder length hair, hazel eyes, a round face and straight nose. She was wearing a black and white flowered smock, with white belt, a pale green and yellow striped blouse, a black polo-necked jumper with black and white areas, and brown tights.

She was found about 30 yards from a bridle path, in a copse in the forest – no attempt had been made to conceal the body.

The victims description has been circulated nationwide in the hope that her identity can be traced from reports of missing persons, and police from Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, Cranbrook and County Police Headquarters at Maidstone are conducting a door-to-door investigation throughout Goudhurst and the Weald as part of the murder hunt.

Yesterday (Thursday) the search was stepped up and about 85 police and detectives were involved in the hunt. No handbag, shoes or ring have been found.

An incident room has been set up at Cranbrook police station. Anyone who was in the Bedgebury Forest area since midday on Sunday, or who believe they recognize the description should phone the police on Cranbrook 4104. The police are particularly anxious to hear from neighbors who have missed anyone answering the description, and who lived near them.

YESTERDAY (Thursday) the police issued this picture which shows the black and white flowered pattern of the smock/smock dress the victim was wearing. Anyone who recognizes this is asked to contact police Immediately.

Sunday Mirror – Sunday 28 October 1979

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

Lake murder hunt

Police are still trying to identify the body of a woman found battered to death last week.

The woman was so badly beaten that her face is unrecognizable.

Her body was found near lakes in Bedgebury Wood, a beauty spot at Goudhurst, Kent. A police spokesman said she was aged between 25 – 35, 5ft. 1in. tall with brown hair. She was wearing a 38in bra bearing the makers tab “Lovable”

Today clergymen in Kent churches will appeal for help in identifying the woman.

Kent & Sussex Courier – Friday 02 November 1979

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

“Help us” plea to public from Police

POLICE are appealing to the public to help them identify the woman found brutally murdered in Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst.

The Massive murder hunt involving about 80 police officers from Cranbrook, Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks, the Medway Towns, Ashford and Kent County Headquarters has still not been able to identify the victim.

The woman, aged about 30, was found by three horse riders on a narrow bridle path in the 3,000 acre Forest on the afternoon of October 23. Police believe the body had been there for up to 48 hours and are appealing for anyone who was in the Forest or Pinetum on Sunday to come forward. The victim 5ft one inch tall, of medium build, with dark brown shoulder length hair, hazel eyes, and large, but not prominent, front teeth, may have been a traveling farm worker.

Dress Altered

They believe she may not have been local, but could have been working for the fruit picking season on Weald farm. She was wearing a black and white flowered dress, and a short black polo-neck jumper with white checked front and a wide white belt with a large circular gold colored buckle.

Police say the dress had been altered, with bias binding on the hem, and different colored cotton in one seam – and may have been bought at a market or jumble sale. They want to hear from anyone who has seen a woman dressed like this, or who has a neighbor, relative or acquaintance who has been absent from usual haunts.

A woman police constable, dressed in similar clothes to the murdered woman, appeared before thousands of viewers on Southern TV on Wednesday night. Leaflets have been distributed throughout West Kent and East Sussex. Doctors have also been asked if the woman fitting the description had received medical treatment in the past.

Det-Supt Brian Kendall who is leading the murder hunt described it as “Kent’s biggest-ever identification problem, somebody, somewhere must know who this woman is” he said.

South Eastern Gazette – Tuesday 06 November 1979

Image © Iliffe News & Media Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

BODY IN FOREST STILL UNIDENTIFIED

Forensic tests on a woman found brutally murdered in Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst, two weeks ago could this week reveal new information about her.

The biggest identity hunt in Kent Police history has failed to turn up any vital clues.

Meanwhile, an identikit picture of the woman aged about 30, is due to be issued today.

The woman is 5ft tall, with brown shoulder-length hair, hazel eyes, a round face, straight nose and slightly protruding front teeth.

She was wearing a black and white flowered smock, a pale green and yellow blouse, a black polo-necked jumper with off-white shoulder areas and a broad white belt with a brass buckle.

Daily Express – Thursday 15 November 1979

Image © Reach PLC. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

WHO IS SHE?

By Peter Mason

Police probe mystery of young woman found murdered in the woods

THEY call her The Woman Who Never Was, Someone, somewhere, knew her and loved her.

Someone, somewhere also knows the terrible secret of her brutal killing – and hated her enough to beat her to death in a lonely Kent wood.

But after three weeks and 18,000 man hours of intensive, police still do not even know who she is.

Her severely battered body was found by three children out riding at Bedgebury Woods, a famous beauty spot near Goudhurst. Superintendent Brian Kendall, the man leading the murder hunt says: “We are completely baffled”

” Here’s this woman, in her late 30s, relatively well dressed, not unattractive, good figure – and nobody knows who she is.”

“Three weeks ago she was brutally murdered. Yet in all of that time nobody has come forward to say they knew her”

“More than 50,000 leaflets have been distributed through newsagents.”

The murdered woman’s finger prints were sent to police forces throughout Europe and the common wealth.

Interpol have been called in.

One theory is that the dead woman may have been one of the thousands of itinerant workers who moved into Hopefields and apple orchards Kent.

But there is one area on which the police are still pinning some hopes.

They have established that the woman was six weeks pregnant.

Manchester Evening News – Monday 26 November 1979

Image © Reach PLC.

Expert will “put face” on corpse

AN EXPERT from Manchester University has been asked by Kent police to help “rebuild” the face of a murdered woman.

Police hope the reconstruction by Mr Richard Neave, 42 – year – old artist in the University’s department of Medical Illustration, will lead to identification.

The woman beaten about the head and face, was found Bedgebury Forest, on the Kent, Sussex border, a month ago.

Mr Neave, of Stamford Road, Althrincham, “put a face” on the skeleton found earlier this year, in a Surrey ditch. It was identified.

Eastbourne Herald – Saturday 08 December 1979

Image © National World Publishing Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

MURDER INQUIRY

Kent police seek killer

Kent Police detectives investigating the murder of a mystery woman have extended their inquiries into Sussex.

On Tuesday, October 23, the body of a woman was found in Bedgebury Forest, near Goudhurst, Kent. She had been brutally battered about the head and despite extensive inquiries her identity remains unknown.

The area concerned is frequented by a large number if casual farm workers and other visitors during the autumn.

Police believe the murdered woman may have come from East Sussex.

She was wearing a black and white flowered smock-dress and a short polo-necked jumper with a lighter checked front and a wide white fabric belt with a large circular gold-colored buckle.

The dead woman was aged between 25 and 35 years, 5ft 1in tall, of medium build with brown shoulder length hair, hazel eyes and rather prominent front teeth.

She had an ectopic pregnancy and may have been in considerable pain, and might have been sought advice or mentioned her discomfort.

Anyone knowing, or who believes they have seen, a woman of this description, or anyone who visited the Bedgebury Forest area between midday Sunday, October 21, and 2pm Tuesday, October 23 is asked to contact the murder incident room at Cranbrook Police Station, telephone Cranbrook 4104 or 4111, or any other Police officer.

South Eastern Gazette – Tuesday 30 October 1979

Image © Iliffe News & Media Ltd. Image created courtesy of THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD.

body in forest

A YOUNG woman found brutally murdered in a Kent forest may have been a traveling farm worker.

A week after three horse riders discovered her battered body on a local bridle path in Bedgebury Forest, Goudhurst mystery still surrounds the woman’s identity.

As time goes by, police feel it’s less likely she was local. They think she may have been in the Weald working on the fruit farm.

Chief inspector Phil Carey said yesterday, the majority of outsiders coming to this area would be here for farm work, and this weekend we had men out visiting farms to see if anyone remembered her.

Police frogmen from the underwater search and recovery unit have combed Marshall Lake, about half a mile from the murder spot, but have found no clues. The hunt is continuing.

On Saturday, police set up a caravan nearby. They wanted to hear from anyone who was in Bedgebury Forest between noon the previous Sunday and 2:30pm on Tuesday when the woman was found.

“We are still very anxious to establish the woman’s identity” said Mr Carey.

“Someone must have known this girl, even if there are no friends or family around.”

On Sunday, vicars at more than 50 churches appealed to their congregation to contact police if they had any information concerning the murder.

The dead woman is described as between 25 and 35, five feet one with dark brown shoulder-length hair, hazel eyes, a round face, and a straight nose.

BBC News, Monday, 5 June, 2000, Driver not guilty of hitcher murder

The Guardian, Maurice Mcleod, Sat 6 May 2000, Man, 75, in court over 1979 killing

Kent Online, Sean Axtell, 08 June 2022, The unsolved murder of the Bedgebury Forest Woman

The Independent, 15 February 1999, Jason Bennetto Crime Correspondent New test reopens unsolved murders

Unidentified Wiki: Bedgebury Forest Woman

Doe Network: 1626UFUK – Unidentified

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New test reopens unsolved murders