Barmaid killed in London park on Christmas Eve
Detectives believe pub worker, 22, was murdered as she walked home
A WOMAN found murdered in Finsbury Park, north London, on Wednesday has been named as Iuliana Tudos by the Metropolitan Police.
Ms Tudos, 22, who police said was of Russian and Greek origin, was last seen by friends about 8pm on Dec 24 as she made her way home from Camden.
Concerns for her safety were first raised on Christmas Day when she failed to meet friends at a house in Enfield, north-east London, where she was due to have lunch. Police were later alerted when she missed her shift at the World’s End pub in Camden, where she worked as a barmaid.
Officers from the Metropolitan police said her next of kin, who are abroad, have been informed.
Her body was found in the park shortly before 4.30pm on Wednesday.
Last night police said Tudos died as a result of a stab wound to the abdomen and a head injury. A post-mortem examination was being carried out at Haringey Mortuary, with the cause of her death expected to be announced later today.
DCI Nicola Wall, from the Homicide and Major Crime Command, who is leading the investigation, last night issued a public appeal for witnesses to come forward.
She said: “Iuliana’s body was discovered in an outbuilding next to a sports pitch. We believe that she may have been attacked on Saturday, Dec 24 – Christmas Eve – but we want to hear from anyone who saw anything suspicious in that part of Finsbury Park over the Christmas period. We are still trying to piece together a timeline of events and are pursuing a number of lines of inquiry as regards to a motive.”
Yesterday an area of the north-east corner of the park, close to a baseball pitch, was cordoned off as murder detectives investigated how she died.
Forensics officers marked out what appeared to be clothing scattered on the grass.
Ms Tudos’s home in nearby Upper Tollington Park was also searched by police. Sebastian Jonathan, a neighbour, said: “She was a very nice person, young and gorgeous. I met her twice when she came over for beers when we had barbecues last summer.”
Ms Tudos, who is from Moscow and went by the nickname “Julie”, was last seen wearing a black and red hooded top with “Agnostic Front” – the name of an American punk band – on it, with light jeans and black
‘We believe that she may have been attacked on Saturday, Dec 24’
and white Vans shoes.
She was wearing glasses and was carrying a black and white fabric bag with “Fighting against Animal Testing” written on it.
Following the news of her death, dozens of friends took to social media to pay tribute to the youngster, who is believed to have recently come to the UK to work.
They included Noemi Leopard Pataki, who posted an image of the pair out celebrating together captioned: “I love you forever and ever”.
Scotland Yard asked anyone with information to call 0208 785 8244 or contact Crimestoppers.