Mysterious unsolved case of well-dressed woman who took sip of coffee and jumped 262ft to her death
Over two decades ago a woman travelled to Wembley Point in London, took a sip of her coffee and then fell 262ft to her death, sparking one of the most baffling unsolved cases.
This is what happened.
On the morning of 29 October 2004, a woman entered the Wembley Point building (now known as the WEM tower) and entered the building's cafe before jumping 21 stories to her death.
She is typically referred to as the Wembley Point woman, on the basis that no one has come forward to confirm her identity.
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The woman has been described as being black, between the age of 20 and 40, standing between 5ft 1in and 5ft 3in tall and wearing smart clothes on the day of her death.
According to Locate International, a charity which aims to raise awareness about unsolved cases and unidentified people, she was dressed in a maroon coloured bomber jacket, black trousers and black Skechers boots.
She was wearing several items of jewellery, including a silver cowrie shell ring - which is often linked to fertility in some cultures - and earrings.
No phone or identifying items, such as a phone, bank card, or driving licence were found on her person. However, the woman was carrying a plastic carrier bag featuring the lettering CPNY, £5.20 in cash, a disposable lighter, and a used packet of 10 Marlboro cigarettes.
She also had a 2ft x 1ft oil painting and a copy of The Guardian newspaper, which had been bought inside the building.
The most significant piece of evidence included a weekly bus pass, issued at Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham on 26.10.04 at 07.07 am, suggesting that she regularly travelled this route.
The final moments of the Wembley Point woman
After arriving at Wembley Point, it is understood the woman entered the lift at around 9am alongside a number of other people who worked in the building. Two people would later come forward and reveal the woman appeared to have been extremely distressed, with one person telling her, 'Cheer up, love, it might never happen', before exiting the elevator (via The Guardian).
She exited the lift and then made her way to the staff canteen - suggesting that she may have worked in or was at least familiar with the building - where witnesses spotted her smoking and flicking through the newspaper.
One witness who saw the woman's final moments later told investigators: "One moment she was sat very still in the far corner of the restaurant. 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?"
Have there been any developments in identifying the Wembley Point woman?
On the 20th anniversary of her death, Locate International released new information regarding a possible interaction with the woman in the weeks leading up to her death.
According to the tip, a man had recalled chatting with the woman outside the building, in which she revealed concerns about her boyfriend's health.
The charity also believes the woman had connections to Chestnuts Arts & Community Centre in Seven Sisters and may have been active in cultural groups supporting West African asylum seekers there.
For more information on the case, check out Locate International's website here.
Topics: Community
Brenna Cooper