The mystery shrouding the recovery of the skeletal remains of a woman stuffed inside a barrel at Kumbalam is soon set to end with the police identifying the deceased to be a 54-year-old woman from Udayamperoor, who had gone missing about one-and-a-half years ago.
Officials said the police were awaiting the result of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) examination on whether DNA samples collected from the body matched with those of the missing woman’s daughter.
“A final report from the FSL is expected by Friday. Upon confirming the identity of the deceased, the investigation will focus on the factors leading to her death,” said Sibi Tom, Circle Inspector, Ernakulam South.
Official sources said the woman had been living alone at a rented house till she went missing about one-and-a-half years ago. Investigations revealed that she had received several lakhs of rupees as insurance cover after an accident involving her son.
According to them, the finding of a 6.5-cm Malleolar screw from the ankle joint of the left foot proved to be the turning point in the investigation. During the probe, the police collected details of persons who had undergone the surgery involving the Malleolar screw technology in Kerala over the past couple of years and traced all of them except the woman from Udayamperoor.
Following a tip-off that the woman had gone to Mumbai, a police team was despatched to trace her whereabouts. The team, however, returned a few weeks later as the woman remained untraceable.
The police are also examining the role of a youth, who had allegedly maintained links with the victim, and whether the episode had any links with the death of a youth in Eroor, reported a day after the woman’s body was found.
The barrel containing the skeleton was found adrift on the Kochi backwaters on January 8 this year. Only the skeleton, some hair strands and bits and pieces of cloth were found from the plastic drum filled with concrete mix.
