Queensland Police investigate suspicious death of Tanya Lee Glover, found in wall
The body of a 38-year-old woman was found buried in the wall of a unit block after more than a decade. In identifying her, police uncovered another tragic detail.
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A woman whose body was found tightly wrapped and half buried in a wall after more than a decade was never even reported missing.
The grim discovery of human remains were found by cleaners in the garage area of an Alderley block of units in Brisbane’s north on December 7.
Nine months on, Queensland Police have finally been able to confirm the skeletal remains discovered were that of Tanya Lee Glover, who would have been about 38 years old at the time of her death.
Police allege Ms Glover’s body was disposed of between 2009 and 2010.
She was not formally known to Queensland Police, and no missing person reports had ever been made concerning her welfare.
Ms Glover is believed to have moved to Queensland from NSW in 2006 and resided in the Fortitude Valley area until 2010.
She was visually and hearing-impaired.
There have been no arrests made or charges laid in relation to her death or disappearance.
Cleaners find body in the wall
On the morning of December 7, cleaners hired to work at the Alderley unit block made the shocking discovery of the tightly wrapped human remains after spotting them half hidden in a wall in the unit’s car park.
They were reportedly upset and traumatised by the horrific discovery in a locked area behind a besser block wall.
Police reported at the time Ms Glover’s body was “very tightly wrapped” and covered in clothing and bedding.
Detectives from Hendra CIB and the Homicide Investigation Unit have spent nine months investigating Ms Glover’s suspicious death, and how she came to be buried at the unit block.
Despite police believing her body had been hidden there more than 12 years ago, police had not received any reports of a bad smell or any other suspicious activity before the shocking discovery.
It’s believed the way Ms Glover’s body was so tightly wrapped, with clothing and bedding, any smell had been disguised as to not alert residents to the sinister hiding spot.
However, Superintendent Andrew Massingham told reporters in December that the disposal of Ms Glover’s body wasn’t very well carried out.
“Whoever … has put the person there has attempted to conceal the body fairly unsuccessfully,” he said.
“(They) have taken great care to wrap the body up in a certain way and preserve it.
“They’ve also transported it to an area that’s not readily accessible.
“Whether it was their intention to leave it there, or come and get it at some later time and they simply haven’t, is part of what we’ll be looking at.”
Residents living at the unit block had not reported any smell or any other suspicion.
DNA evidence crucial in identifying Tanya Glover
As police continue to investigate the suspicious death, one major hurdle was identifying the remains.
Ms Glover’s identity was eventually discovered through a lengthy investigation involving the AFP’s national National DNA Program for Unidentified and Missing Persons.
The program uses a familial DNA to match potential family members to missing people.
“Through the familial DNA process, there’s certain DNA markers which are used to match what was an unidentified DNA victim from Ms Glover to known DNA profiles of biological relatives,” Superintendent Massingham said.
“The AFP can, through their skill set, identify people within that family tree and with the assistance of investigators narrow down that search.”
Ms Glover’s parents were then alerted by police of her death.
Superintendent Massingham said the woman’s parents didn’t realise their daughter was missing, having thought she was somewhere else in the country.
“They are obviously upset, they are obviously traumatised as a result of the news we’ve provided to them,” he said.
“They fell out of contact with her some time ago and were of the mistaken belief she was in some other part of the country.”
Ms Glover is described as caucasian in appearance, between 155cm and 165cm tall, and she had dark brown hair.
Search for answers
Detective Superintendent Massingham said on Thursday investigators were now trying to piece together who might have known or harmed Ms Glover.
He confirmed nobody had ever reported the woman missing, despite her death occurring more than 12 years ago.
He said investigators were trying to also determine how many people were involved in Ms Glover’s death.
“The really important process begins now, having to identify who is responsible for her death,” he said.
“The next piece of this investigative jigsaw puzzle is try to establish who knew Ms Glover so we can draw a victim profile of her and try to identify any persons who may have wished to harm her or had a motive to do so.
“This very next step is important and is crucial.”
Superintendent Massingham said investigations were still ongoing, as officers worked to determine her cause of death.
He said there was evidence of trauma found on her remains.
Investigators are still also trying to establish whether Ms Glover had been sexually assaulted before her death.
“This information is very fresh at this stage,” Superintendent Massingham said.
“There were a number of items located at the scene in terms of wrappings and the like that I spoke of at the time, they’re still the subject of ongoing DNA inquiries and also further ongoing forensic work.
“Our priority was to identify our victim and the other items were secondary, but they’ll be part of the investigation”.
Public appeal for information
Superintendent Massingham urged anyone who might have known Ms Glover between 2006 and 2010 to contact police.
“This is a single, vulnerable lady that lived a very carefree lifestyle and for whatever reason has been targeted for an unknown purpose and been dealt with in a very horrid way in the way they’ve concealed and left her body in that area for a number of years,” he said.
“At this stage, the autopsy has revealed some trauma to the body and as a result we are treating this as suspicious.
“This is peculiar, there is a motive around this we are yet to establish. Why someone would target a vulnerable, single female in this way and callously go about disposing of her body in a way and nature we have observed.
“This is concerning and peculiar.”
The police have also concluded Ms Glover was not known to have been to the Alderley unit block before her death.
“There is nothing that we have to connect her to that apartment and the call for assistance from people residing at that apartment still stands,” Superintendent Massingham said.
“We’ve now completed our inquiry with respect to all those tenants at that complex but we now appeal to anyone who have now seen that photograph and they’re better informed about what the deceased looked like to contact police.”
Anyone with information in relation to any person who may have known Ms Glover, or had any interactions with her, particularly during the 2006 to 2010 period is asked to contact Crimestoppers on 1800 333 000 or online.
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Originally published as Queensland Police investigate suspicious death of Tanya Lee Glover, found in wall
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