Bystanders who witnessed the final moments of the Wembley Point Woman revealed what she did before suddenly jumping to her death from the 21-storey tower.
The woman’s identity still remains a mystery 20 years on from the tragedy, but there is renewed hope that the case might finally be cracked after new information about the incident has recently came to light.
According to reports, the Wembley Point Woman fell to her death from the London office block Wembley Point, now known as the WEM Tower London, on 29 October, 2004, sparking one of the UK‘s most baffling cold cases.
Numerous appeals and press coverage ensued in the wake of her death, but the mystery is no closer to being solved despite tireless work by missing persons charity Locate International.
The organisation have previously released an artist’s impression of the woman, and have shared details of the unique possessions she was found with in the hopes of jogging someones memory.
The woman was black, stood between 5ft 1in and 5ft 3in tall, and had been wearing smart clothing on the day as well as distinctive jewellery.
She had been wearing a cowrie shell ring, which is often linked to fertility in some cultures, as well as other rings, one stud earring, and a watch.
The identity of the Wembley Point Woman still remains a mystery (PA)
The Wembley Point Woman was carrying £5.20 in cash, an oil painting, a plastic carrier bag featuring the lettering CPNY, a disposable lighter, and a used packet of 10 Marlboro cigarettes.
Interestingly, she also had a weekly bus pass, which had been issued at Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham on 26 October 2004, suggesting she regularly took this route.
She had also picked up a copy of The Guardian newspaper in the building, which was dated 29 October, 2004.
But she did not have a single item on her which could help identify her, such as a bank card, driving licence, or phone.
After entering Wembley Point that morning, it is said that the woman entered the lift at around 9am alongside a number of other people who worked in the building.
Two of these told investigators that the woman appeared to be extremely distressed during this journey, The Guardian reported.
One even recalled how he had turned to the woman and something along the lines of, ‘Cheer up, love, it might never happen’, before he exited the elevator.
Witnesses reported the woman appearing to be distressed as she made her way up to the 21st floor (Google Maps)
The woman, on the other hand, continued up to the 21st floor, where a canteen for employees was located – suggesting she must have been familiar with the building’s layout.
While there, she is believed to have bought a coffee before taking a seat at a table which was close to a window and having a sip of her drink.
The Wembley Point Woman then smoked a cigarette and flicked through the newspaper, according to eyewitnesses, before climbing on top of the table.
She opened the window and jumped out – in the space of ‘a split second’, one person who saw the incident told investigators.
“One moment she was sat very still in the far corner of the restaurant,” they said. “I bought my coffee and as I looked sideways, she was no longer there, with the window ajar.
“It’s taken me some time to get over my sadness at how I felt; mainly, what could have happened to this person to feel there was nothing else to live for?”
Lisa Hedderman was also working in the 262ft tower at the time, and told the publication that her assistant had run in ‘sobbing’ to break the news about the incident – but said nobody knew who had died.
She was wearing distinctive jewellery at the time of her death in October 2004 (PA)
Speculating about whether she believes the the Wembley Point Woman had visited the building before, Hedderman said: “Security was quite lax, but the cafe wasn’t the kind of place where you saw members of the public.
“And how would you know there were no safety locks on the windows? Even in 2004, I think that was quite unusual on such a high floor.”
These accounts have all remained consistent over the last 20 years, with many employees all reporting seeing the woman looking upset on on that day.
Now, Locate International have released new information which could help unlock the bizarre case.
The charity explained that the woman was spotted a week prior to her death outside of the office building and began chatting to a man.
During the conversation, she also appeared quite distressed and informed him that she was worried about her boyfriend’s health.
Investigators are hoping this could be the clue which helps them solve the mystery, as it proves the woman had close connections at the time of her death.
Locate International believe that the woman was familiar with Wembley Point and may have even worked their herself as a cleaner or a contractor.
For more information on the case, check out Locate International’s website here.
