Wembley Point Woman – 20 Years On, Your Tips Have Helped Us Make Progress

On 29th October 2004, a woman fell to her death from the 21st floor of Wembley Point, London. For two decades, she has remained unidentified, despite numerous appeals. But today, thanks to 47 public leads, we’ve opened over 100 new lines of enquiry, each helping us get closer to uncovering her identity. 

What We Knew 

Wembley Point Woman left behind a few personal items: £5.20 in cash, an oil painting, a 7-day bus pass bought on 26th October, valid until 1st November 2004. It was issued in Seven Sisters. She also had a Guardian newspaper dated 29th October 2004. But who was she? That’s the question we’ve been determined to answer. 

What We Now Know 

Recently, we uncovered a significant new piece of information: a man who spoke to her in the weeks leading up to her death revealed she was distressed over her boyfriend’s health. This tip suggests that a boyfriend exists, someone who may hold crucial answers to her life – someone who knows who she is.  

In addition, a number of people have contacted us about the cowrie shell ring she was wearing - it is often associated with fertility, a desire to be a mother. Our investigators are considering whether this tells us something about the struggles she was experiencing in her personal life. 

We’ve also uncovered details about her connection to Wembley Point. Tips suggest she was familiar with the building. Witnesses we’ve spoken to say she walked confidently through the building, suggesting familiarity with it – it is possible that she had a job there. Contact from the community suggested she may have worked as a cleaner or contractor, possibly out of regular sight of other office workers.  

Having spoken to other witnesses, it is also now thought that the newspaper was provided by Cafe 21, which was situated within Wembley Point, and that she did not bring the copy of The Guardian with her. 

The 7-day bus pass has struck up debate in many people’s minds – the fact that she bought a 7-day pass suggests this is a regular route for her, and a route that she had at one point planned to take again, with another two days left on the pass. We now know it was issued at 7.03am and was purchased from a very small newsagent located at 223 Seven Sisters Road.  

Image from Google Maps Streetview, June 2008, the closest archived image of the newsagents. Image: ©Google Maps . 

Public tips have raised the possibility that she was connected to arts or community centres near Seven Sisters, specifically Chestnuts Arts & Community Centre. The idea that she may have been part of a local cultural group—perhaps one supporting asylum seekers from West Africa—has come up multiple times.  

We also spoke with a translator who had worked with a woman who matched Wembley Point Woman’s description – so many parts of the story seemed to align.  

Angela Watts, who leads the team investigating Wembley Point Woman’s identity, said,

“One tip from a person who translates for victims of trafficking and exploitation was of particular interest to us.  The translator said that the image of Wembley Point Woman reminded her so much of someone she had supported.  Other details such as the fact that the woman smoked and took pride in her appearance resonated with what we know of Wembley Point Woman.  The interpreter had befriended the woman and sometimes called at her lodgings and remembered that she had artwork on the walls.  We followed this lead but finally were able to confirm that the woman had returned to her home country so could not be Wembley Point Woman”.

What We Still Need 

We’ve followed up every lead and our team have left no stone unturned. From every lead, we have developed further lines of enquiry. But we still need the public’s help to close this case. 

In particular, we are looking to be connected with: 

1. Businesses or services with strong ties to the West African community near Seven Sisters 

2. Anyone who worked at Wembley Point in 2004, especially in security, cleaning, or as a contractor 

3. Those who are familiar with local community centres in North London that may have had connections with African or Caribbean residents 

4. People who attended Chestnuts Arts & Community Centre or any other similar cultural space in Seven Sisters during the early 2000s 

5. Businesses or individuals who may have supplied the canvas and oil paints used to create the artwork 

6. Anyone who may have attended an art class in or around this area, was involved in art therapy, or any other similar course / group 

7. Any community groups for refugees or asylum seekers that were active in the Seven Sisters area in 2004 

8. Anyone connected with other public spaces, businesses, or services around Wembley Point that had connections with migrant or working-class communities 

9. People who worked in hospitality or catering, particularly as contractors – it has been suggested that she did event work for an agency, and the Skechers shoes she wore were often used by those in this industry 

10. Anyone at all who believes her description or story sounds familiar to them from other contexts, such as hospital, social services, or community outreach work 

The progress we have made in our investigation demonstrates the importance of public contact – we therefore encourage anyone to come forward, no matter how seemingly small the information. Ruling an individual out is still progress – it is still a step forward, a step closer. 

Now more than ever we believe the final pieces to this puzzle are within reach. Every tip, no matter how small, could be the key to returning her name to her.