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ABC News
ABC News
National

Police say an unidentified woman whose body was found in Brisbane unit complex wall died at least seven years ago

A woman whose body was found hidden at a Brisbane unit complex last month may have been dead for up to 13 years, police say.

The body was found at a unit complex in Alderley, north of Brisbane, by cleaners from the Department of Housing on December 7.

It was partially buried, tightly wrapped and covered in clothing and bedding and hidden behind a brick wall.

A day later police confirmed that remains were female.

After more than a month of testing, police have determined that she was Caucasian, between 155-165 centimetres tall and had dark brown hair.

She wore glasses and size 10 clothing. She was believed to be between 30 and 55 years old.

Police have also revealed there was "trauma" to the woman's body and that they were still treating her death as suspicious.

They believe she died between 2009 and 2015.

Officers have not been able to identify her from the missing persons reports in Queensland or nationally.

"We can place the body with a high degree of confidence here at the position it was found [last year] back in November 2015," Detective Superintendent Andrew Massingham said.

"The time of the death of this person could extend out to 2009.

"Her body is believed to have been at the unit block where she was located … for that period of time.

"We don't know if she was killed there or elsewhere."

Police appeal for help with 'complex' investigation

Police have called the investigation "extremely complex".

"One of the biggest pieces of the jigsaw puzzle is the identity of the victim," Detective Superintendent Massingham said.

"It's very important that we strongly appeal for people to come forward with that information.

"To try and trace the movements of an as-yet-unidentified woman from at least seven years ago is extraordinarily challenging."

He said police were confident the woman was not a resident of the Alderley complex where she was found.

The complex is owned by Brisbane Housing company and residents said, in December, that the discovery of the body left them "alarmed" and shaken up.

"This unit complex was built in 2006 we are in the process of tracking down all occupants," Detective Superintendent Massingham said.

"We are most of the way through interviewing past residents … we have some 50 left.

"So, far this lady is not identified."

Anyone with information about the woman is being told to contact police.

"I'm appealing to people today to cast their mind back to between 2009 and 2015," he said.

"Where were they, who were their friend groups did they notice anyone go missing during that period of time who just seemed to go missing off the face of the earth.

"It's important that we give this lady a voice, that we identify her … and hopefully find out the true circumstances of this tragic death."

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