A woman whose body was discovered in Spain more than 20 years ago has been identified through an international police campaign. The woman was named on Thursday as 31-year-old Russian citizen Liudmila Zavada. She is the third person to be identified through the Operation Identify Me initiative, which was launched by police in 2023 in an effort to find the names of women who had been murdered or died in suspicious or unexplained circumstances in Europe.
Valdecy Urquiza, secretary general of international policing agency Interpol which leads the campaign, said the latest identification would give 'fresh hope to the families and friends of missing persons' and 'new leads' to investigators. 'After 20 years, an unknown woman has been given back her name,' he said.
Ms. Zavada's body was discovered in July 2005 beside a road in the province of Barcelona in northeastern Spain. Local police said the cause of death was 'suspicious,' as evidence suggested that the body had been moved in the 12 hours before it was found. However, investigations failed to uncover her identity. Through the Operation Identify Me campaign, which has involved releasing black notices for unidentified bodies, her fingerprints were matched in Turkey and a familial DNA match confirmed her identity.
Investigations into her death continue, as police seek to unravel the circumstances surrounding the case and identify other victims involved in similar cases across Europe.
Valdecy Urquiza, secretary general of international policing agency Interpol which leads the campaign, said the latest identification would give 'fresh hope to the families and friends of missing persons' and 'new leads' to investigators. 'After 20 years, an unknown woman has been given back her name,' he said.
Ms. Zavada's body was discovered in July 2005 beside a road in the province of Barcelona in northeastern Spain. Local police said the cause of death was 'suspicious,' as evidence suggested that the body had been moved in the 12 hours before it was found. However, investigations failed to uncover her identity. Through the Operation Identify Me campaign, which has involved releasing black notices for unidentified bodies, her fingerprints were matched in Turkey and a familial DNA match confirmed her identity.
Investigations into her death continue, as police seek to unravel the circumstances surrounding the case and identify other victims involved in similar cases across Europe.
