Woman, 24, found murdered in boot of car named as police believe she was 'attacked by someone known to her'

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Detectives investigating the death of a woman from Corby have named the victim as 24-year-old Harshita Brella.

A murder investigation was launched after the body of a woman, who police have now named as Brella, was found in a car in east London. The finding came about after Northamptonshire Police received a call on Wednesday (November 13), regarding concerns for Brella’s welfare.

Officers were deployed to her home address in Skegness Walk, Corby, and after getting no answer, launched a missing person investigation. Fast-track enquiries were made which sadly led to the discovery of a woman’s body inside the boot of a vehicle in Brisbane Road in the Ilford area of London, in the early hours of Thursday (November 14).

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A forensic postmortem examination, which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on Friday (November 15), established that Harshita had been murdered.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Chief Inspector Johnny Campbell from the East Midlands Special Operations Major Crime Unit (EMSOU), said: “First of all, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to everyone who loved Harshita Brella. She was a young woman in her early 20s with her whole life ahead of her and it is absolutely tragic that her life has been cut short in this way.

“Detectives from EMSOU and Northamptonshire Police are working around the clock to establish the circumstances behind her death, including the exact location and timeframe in which it took place.”

Murder victim Harshita Brella, aged 24, who was found dead in the boot of a car in November 2024. Photo by Northamptonshire Police.Murder victim Harshita Brella, aged 24, who was found dead in the boot of a car in November 2024. Photo by Northamptonshire Police.
Murder victim Harshita Brella, aged 24, who was found dead in the boot of a car in November 2024. Photo by Northamptonshire Police. | Northamptonshire Police

DCI Campbell is appealing to anyone who may have information about this incident to come forward. He said: “Although we believe Harshita was attacked by someone known to her, we are keeping an open mind, and would appeal to anyone who knew her to contact us with any relevant information they may have.

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“If you saw anything suspicious in the past week or have any information, no matter how small, please contact us. We would always rather receive well-meaning information that turns out to be nothing as opposed to not receiving it all.”

Police officers are satisfied there is no wider risk to the public as a result of this incident, however extra patrols will be taking place in Corby in the coming days for reassurance purposes, and anyone with any concerns is welcome to approach one of these officers who will be happy to help.

Anyone who has any information that could help detectives bring Harshita’s killer to justice, is asked to call police on 101 quoting incident number 24000678713. Alternatively information can be submitted via an online portal or by calling Crimestoppers, in confidence, on 0800 555111.

Northamptonshire Police has also made a mandatory referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) due to previous contact between the Force and the victim.

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