Florida county police released an artist’s reconstructed image of an unidentified woman whose remains were found last week in three suitcases floating along the Intracoastal Waterway.
The illustration, prepared by the sheriff’s office forensic imaging unit in Palm Beach County, Florida and released Wednesday night, shows a middle-aged woman with dark brown hair and eyes.
Delray Beach police have estimated that the woman was either white or Latin American, between the ages of 35 and 55 years old and standing about 5 feet 4 inches tall. They also said she may have had tattooed eyebrows.
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An accompanying rendering from PBSO suggests the clothing she was wearing when she was attacked: a white floral top, believed to be made by the Brazilian company Betzabe, and mid-thigh black shorts.
“It’s important for the public to know that these reconstructed images are not an exact likeness of the victim or her clothing and are simply the interpretation of the artist,” investigators said in a prepared statement posted on the agency’s Facebook page.
Delray Beach police also released photos of two of the suitcases in which her remains were found: a purple Palm Springs Ricardo Beverly Hills bag and a green-and-black polka dot Charlie Sport bag.
The police postings follow an appeal Monday for Delray Beach residents who live between Linton Boulevard and George Bush Boulevard bridges to check their security-camera footage for “unusual” cars or people between July 17 and 20, keeping an eye out for ones carrying luggage.
The woman’s remains were in the early stages of decomposition by the time a construction worker found the first suitcase on Friday morning. Police soon received calls about two other suitcases floating further south.
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Police have declined to say how they think the woman was killed saying they believe the suitcases were dumped locally but are investigating whether they entered the waterway north or south of Palm Beach County.
Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Mike Liberta at 561-243-7874.
Tom Elia is an editor at The Palm Beach Post, overseeing coverage of public safety, the courts and Palm Beach County’s northern and western communities. You can reach him attelia@pbpost.com. Support local journalism:Subscribe today.