From a woman whose body was found so badly beaten she has never been identified to the case of a young mum who vanished on her way home, their cases remain unsolved.
Spanning from 1970 to the early 2000s, the perpetrators of the murders have yet to be brought to justice despite extensive police investigations.
In some cases the bodies of the women were never found, but the circumstances of their disappearances have led to their cases being treated as murder.
Friday (25 November) marks the start of 16 days of activism aimed at ending violence against women, starting with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and White Ribbon Day.
We take a look at 20 female murder victims of all different ages and walks of life from across the UK whose cases have tragically remained unsolved.
9. Marion Hodge
Marion Hodge is understood to have been dropped off in the Whitesands area of Dumfries around 7.30am on Friday, 6 July, 1984. Her disappearance is being treated as murder and police announced earlier this year they were reinvestigating. At the time she went missing she was reported to be carrying a blue canvas suitcase and brown handbag, wearing a cream high collared blouse, grey skirt and black sandals. Three days later she was reported missing to Dumfries and Galloway Constabulary. The mother-of-two lived in Balgray, Lockerbie, and worked in the town’s Clydesdale Bank. She was described as 5ft 4in tall, slim build with dark brown collar length hair. She was 34-years-old at the time of her disappearance. Following her disappearance with no further sightings or contact, Marion was declared legally dead by the Court of Session, Edinburgh, in 1992. Her body has never been found. | Policce Scotland
10. Yvonne Fitt
Yvonne Fitt’s body was found in Lindley Wood, near Otley, South Yorkshire, on 12 September 1992. She had been stabbed to death. Yvonne, who was from the Leeds area, had been missing since 16 January 1992 and was last seen in Bradford when she would have been 32-years-old. At the time of her murder she worked in the red light districts of Leeds and Bradford. Since then detectives have continued to investigate her death – including a full reconstruction on BBC programme Crimewatch in 1992, but no one has ever been brought to justice for her death. In 2019, police appealed for a caller to the show to get back in touch. A number of calls had been received after the show including one from an anonymous individual naming a suspect.
11. Janice Weston
The body of solicitor Janice Weston was found near the A1 in Cambridgeshire. The 36-year-old lived and worked in London and was last seen at her office on 10 September, 1983. She was found the following day in a ditch near a roundabout, close to Huntington, and had died from blows to the head. A half-eaten meal was found at her Notting Hill flat, and her car was found abandoned on a street in Regent’s Park. The year after her murder the case featured on Crimewatch. | contributed
12. Beverley Brinkley
Beverley Brinkley, 35, was viciously attacked in the third floor lobby area of the flats where she lived. The assault in The Stow, Harlow, Essex, at about 7.45pm on Sunday 2 February, 2003, left the mum-of-three with serious head injuries. She died at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, four days later. Two men were seen attacking Beverley. They escaped through a car park behind a block of flats. One of the attackers was described as white, fairly short, of stocky build and aged in his late 30s to early 40s. He had dark wavy hair on top and cropped hair into the back of his neck and dark stubble. The second man was described as white, taller and aged in his 20s to early 30s. He had blond shaven hair, a stocky build and long legs. A reward of £10,000 has been offered by Crimestoppers for information that leads to arrest and conviction of those responsible. | Essex Police