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Mystery of the well-dressed woman found dead near pond in Kensington Gardens
Justin Davenport and Felix Allen15 Jan 2010
A woman found dead in Kensington Gardens today may have frozen to death overnight after falling into an icy pond.
Police today sealed off the area surrounding the Round Pond after the body was spotted by an early morning walker.
Murder squad detectives were called to the scene and police said they were treating the death as “unexplained”.
The woman's body was found on the footpath that circles the pond just yards from Kensington Palace, once the official residence of Princess Diana.
It is understood there were no obvious injuries on the body apart from some superficial scratches on her hands.
The woman — described as white and in her mid-twenties — was well-dressed, wearing hiking boots and had a rucksack.
Police said a jogger had seen a woman matching the description kneeling next to the pond late last night.
The woman was drenched from the waist down when she was found and police fear that one possibility is she fell through the ice last night.
One source said she could have dragged herself out and then frozen to death at the side of the pond.
However, the surface of the pond near where she lay, on the far side from the Palace, was still frozen over today, with no apparent holes in the ice and the remnants of a snowman on top of the surface a few feet from the water's edge.
One detective said: “Except for one small area the ice is unbroken so we are not sure if she was in the water. At this stage it is a mystery.”
Police believe they know the woman's identity and were trying to reach her next of kin this morning.
Detectives appealed to anyone who was in the park last night and who saw a woman near the Round Pond or the Serpentine to contact them.
Eyewitnesses who saw police remove a tarpaulin covering the body said the woman was wearing a dark top and jeans and had brown shoulder- length hair.
Police were alerted to the discovery at 7.30am. An onlooker said: “I came into the park shortly after 9am and saw that there was quite a wide police cordon near the pond.
“There were around 10 officers, some in plain clothes and others in uniform.”
A large grassy area next to the pond was cordoned off as officers ordered dozens of dog-walkers and joggers to leave the park.
All the gates were locked as the inquiry team stepped up the investigation.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The dead body of a female was found near the Round Pond in Kensington Gardens at half past seven this morning.
“It is being treated as unexplained at this stage.”
Reader views (2)
This sounds like a tragic accident to possibly a homeless or troubled person who was alone and uncared for.
We should all think twice before we fall out with Family who do not do what we want them to do or are a little different.We should all be more caring and understanding to our fellow human beings. After all, none of us are perfect, J Taylor.
- John Taylor, Stoke-on-Trent England., 15/01/2010 21:05
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Woman dies in a city with 7 mln people around her. OUTRAGEOUS!
- Jake, London , Haringey, 15/01/2010 17:35
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