Woman’s body found wrapped in plastic in bushland near Sydney Airport

Police have detailed how the smell of badly decomposing flesh led an early morning jogger to discover the body of a woman wrapped in plastic and left in a Sydney creek.

The horrific smell of badly decomposing flesh led an early morning jogger to discover the body of a woman wrapped in plastic and left in a Sydney creek, potentially weeks after she had likely been murdered.

NSW Police have launched a major homicide investigation after the body of the “mystery woman” was spotted in the shallow water just off Foreshore Dr at Botany in the city’s south-east, about 7.30am on Monday.

State Crime Command Homicide Squad boss Danny Doherty said police had so far only been unable to determine her identity.

Mr Doherty said the woman’s death was “more than likely murder” and her body was in a “severely decomposed” state, with detectives at this stage believing her killer had wrapped her in plastic in an effort tried to “hide” their crime.

Police pictured at the crime scene. Picture: Damian Shaw

A police officer guards the scene, which is cordoned off. Picture: Damian Shaw

“Unfortunately the body was in a severe state of decomposition, so that makes the timeline a bit more difficult, so we’re looking at days or weeks that the body may have been there,” Detective Superintendent Doherty said.

“The body was covered in plastic in an attempt to hide the body … not far from the footpath … and at this stage we are treating it as a suspicious death, for obvious reasons.

“The identity (of the dead woman) is still unknown, it is still early days in the investigation.”

Police sources said it was the stench of the body that led to it being found by the jogger as they passed through Sir Joseph Banks Park, at a point just opposite Sydney Airport’s runways.

Detective Superintendent Doherty what faced them as they ventured off the path into the creek would have been “no doubt confronting”. Police have initiated Strike Force Zygon and asked the public to help them in their bid to identify her, admitting that “at the moment she’s a mystery woman”.

“It’s a gruesome discovery, but it’s a very tragic situation, a female has lost her life and been found … we now need to determine what the story is,” he said.

Officers photograph the scene. Picture: Damian Shaw

A large police presence on scene. Picture: Damian Shaw

Police pictured at the crime scene on Foreshore Road in Botany. Picture: Damian Shaw

“There may be people out there who are missing a loved one … we don’t know what age the woman is so it may be someone’s mother, daughter, loved one or friend.”

Various police vehicles, including undercover and patrol cars, were at the site on Monday morning.

Plain clothes detectives were seen working out of an official tent with a black camera and tripod set up alongside it, whilst uniformed officers searched surrounding bushland.

A team from police rescue crews arrived around 11.45am.

Two cars from the Riot Squad have joined the search as investigation efforts ramped up. About 10 members of the crew were spotted making their way onto the scene, as the hunt for evidence on the mystery body continues.

In a statement, NSW Police said detectives have formed Strike Force Zygon and are now appealing for information regarding the woman found in Botany earlier today.

Do you know more? Message 0481 056 618 or email [e-mail]