Plaistow: Woman found dead in church grounds had suffered head injuries
Kelly Stewart, who was from Newham, was found in the grounds of Plaistow Memorial Community Church.
Sunday 29 March 2020 13:03, UK
A woman whose body was found in the grounds of a Baptist church in east London, suffered fatal head injuries, police have said.
Kelly Stewart, 41, was declared dead at the scene in Barking Road, Plaistow, on Thursday.
Officers were called to the Memorial Community Church at around 3.10pm, and police believe she was attacked between 12.45am and 1.45am that day.
Ms Stewart had suffered multiple injuries. A manhunt has now been launched to find her killer.
Metropolitan Police Detective Inspector Darren Jones, who is leading the investigation, said they are keeping an open mind as to any motive.
DI Jones appealed for witnesses, adding: "I also want to hear from anyone who knew Kelly, who was in contact with her in the weeks before her death and who may know the people with whom she was associating."
He said a dedicated team of officers are now "exploring every single avenue to track down the person or persons responsible".
Ms Stewart was of no fixed abode at the time of her death but came from the Newham area.
A post-mortem gave the cause of death as impact injuries to the head.
Anyone with information is asked to call the police incident room on 020 8345 1570 or call charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.