MURDERED WOMAN’S IDENTITY

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 120, 16 February 1944, Page 6

MURDERED WOMAN’S IDENTITY

Possible Establishment By Photograph

(By Telegraph),— Press Association.) AUCKLAND, February 15. The identity of a woman who was found murdered in Centennial Park, Sydney. on the morning of February 10 may be established by a photograph possessed by an Auckland woman. The victim was found on a slope near one of the twin ponds and her identity had not been established by the police, who have been draining the 1,000,000-gallon lake in the park in an attempt to solve the murder.

A report of the murder and a drawing of the victim made from a police photograph of the body were recently published in a newspaper. When/Mrs. W. Porter, Auckland, saw the reproduction in the newspaper she was immediately struck with the likeness to a photograph she had of her sister-in-law, Mrs. Ettie Launders, Bransgrove Bond, Sydney. Mrs. Porter went to tlie Auckland detective office yesterday wit/h the photograph and made a statement giving a description of her sister-in-law.

The photograph and newspaper cutting have now been sent to the Wellington police, as a brother of Mrs. Launders resides at Petone and it is thought probable he may have had news from her recently. Advice to the Sydney police will probably be sent from Wellington.

Interviewed, Jlrs. Porter stated that the photograph of Mrs. Launders was taken about five years ago. As soon as she opened the newspaper she was impressed by the resemblance of the drawing to the photograph in her possession. When she placed the photograph and the drawing side by side she was even more impressed by the likeness. Mrs. Launders was born in New Zealand. Later she and another girl went to Sydney and she was married there. Mrs. Porter had not heard from her for some time, but she understood Mrs. Launders’ brother in Wellington had had letters from her from time to time.