Angel of the Meadow Murder
6 November 2022
Deep Dive
Who was the Angel of the Meadow…and who is responsible for her murder? Join Chyaz Samuel as she explores one of Manchester’s strangest true crime stories, from a look at the dark history of the area to the most recent developments in this decades-old cold case. If you or anyone you know has any information which could help in this case, please call police on 0161 856 5978 or 101. You can also make an anonymous report via the Crimestoppers charity by calling 0800 555 111.
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Themes
- Cold case investigation
- Identity and memory
- Place and past
Questions Explored
Who was the Angel of the Meadow? + −
The Angel of the Meadow was the informal name given to an unidentified woman whose skeletal remains were found on 25 January 2010 on land off Miller Street in Manchester. Forensics estimated she was born around the early 1950s, 5ft 1 to 5ft 7 tall, with distinctive dental work and clothing recovered with the body. Chyaz Samuel covers this in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.
Where and when were the remains discovered? + −
Workers preparing a plot of land in Angel Meadow, Manchester, discovered a skull at about 3.50pm on 25 January 2010; a full excavation uncovered a complete female skeleton wrapped in carpet and clothing. The site later became the Co Op headquarters built on a former car park. Chyaz Samuel lays out the case in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.
Why is the Angel of the Meadow case considered strange? + −
The case contains several unusual elements: the body had been wrapped in a blue carpet linked to a Ford Cortina, there were multiple additional carpets, a very distinctive 1970s green pinafore with yellow and orange buttons, and a piece of old Guinness memorabilia buried with her; initially the find was treated as non-suspicious. Chyaz Samuel explains these odd details in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.
What methods did police use to try to identify the victim? + −
Police ordered a postmortem, compared dental records against named missing women, created a facial reconstruction broadcast on Crimewatch, generated a DNA profile and checked around 400 cases, and followed international leads including one from Tanzania; despite these efforts the remains were not identified and were buried in 2015, with later forensic genealogy interest. Chyaz Samuel goes into the detail in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.
Why were suspects such as Christopher Halliwell considered and then ruled out? + −
Journalists suggested Christopher Halliwell as a possible match because aspects of his alleged modus operandi and disposal of car materials appeared similar, but Greater Manchester Police said they investigated and found no evidence linking him to murders in their area; other named suspects, including Peter Tobin and Ronald Castree, were also considered and then excluded by DNA testing. Chyaz Samuel covers these suspect leads in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.
Why does the Angel of the Meadow case still attract public interest? + −
The case remains compelling because a nameless victim was discovered with very distinctive clothing and artefacts, yet was never identified despite facial reconstruction, Crimewatch exposure and DNA work; community memories such as Alec Whittle’s recollection of a bruised barmaid and later involvement from a forensic genealogy group have kept attention on the story. Chyaz Samuel walks through the timeline in Things Are About To Get Weird, Episode 11: Angel of the Meadow Murder.