Human remains in park are those of woman who vanished 19 years ago

Human remains found in scrubland have been confirmed to be those of a Polish woman who went missing nearly 20 years ago.

Malgorzata Wnuczek, a Polish woman living in Leicester, disappeared on May 31, 2006, when she was just 27.

Leicestershire Police said in October that remains were found in scrubland off the Great Central Way, near Watkin Road, which were sent off for forensic testing.

Ms Wnuczek was last seen catching a bus from her place of work at Peter Jackson Logistics in Sunningdale Road, Leicester, into the city centre.

Malgorzata had a three-year-old daughter named Ola, who was left behind when she vanished.

The last contact she had with her family, who referred to her as Gosia, was by text message two days before she disappeared.

In June 2023, following information provided by Polish police, searches of the River Soar were conducted between the bridges in Mill Lane and Upperton Road, police said.

The force added that a 39-year-old man had been arrested in the Greater Manchester area on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice, but he was released with no further action.

Police said a file is being prepared for the coroner.

Detective Superintendent Jenni Greenway said: ‘First and foremost, I’d like to express my deepest condolences to Malgorzata’s family.

‘While this news has ended almost 20 years of uncertainty and not knowing where Malgorzata is, I know it won’t provide closure or end their ongoing grief. The investigation into Malgorzata’s death remains very much open and is ongoing.

‘We remain in contact with our colleagues in Poland – who I’d like to thank for their ongoing support – and we’re continuing to liaise with them as our investigation to understand what happened to Malgorzata progresses.

‘It’s never too late to help, and I’d like to take the opportunity to again ask for anyone who can assist us to get in touch.’

In June, remains were found during a search for a Polish woman 15 years after she disappeared.

Izabela Zablocka, who was 30 years old when she vanished in Derby in 2010, had moved to the UK from Poland a year before she went missing.

A dedicated team of detectives are continuing to piece together information about the days prior to Izabela’s death.

Detective Inspector Kane Martin said: ‘Izabela had friends in Derby, socialised in Derby, and worked in Derby.

‘We know that someone out there will have information about Izabela that may help us understand what happened to her, and we urge anyone who saw, spoke to, or heard anything about Izabela in July or August 2010 to come forward.’

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