Teenager Donna Healey was last seen alive in March 1988, on the eve of her 18th birthday, while working as a sex worker on the streets of Harehills, Leeds. Tragically, she was not reported as a missing person for almost a decade.
Her partially clothed and mummified body was found three years later, in 1991, but it wasn't until 2004 that the police discovered that the body was Donna. Tests on the preserved remains showed the body had been stored in an air-tight container that was 'dry and cool', such as a freezer. The cause and place of her death still remain a mystery.
Advances in DNA science enabled West Yorkshire Police to conclude in 2004 the body was that of Donna Healey, who came from Roxby Street, Little Horton, Bradford.
Investigators believe that the key to solving Donna's death lay in the location her body was found, on the grounds of what was Falloden Nursing Home in Allerton Park, Chapel Allerton, Leeds. Her body was found by a builder on January 15, 1991, who said the location was clear when he had put materials there the day before.
Detectives believe the person who placed the body there may have been forced to do so by a change in circumstances. It is believed that someone had stored her body for a long period of time and then suddenly moved it, perhaps because they were moving house, a partner was moving in or that renovations were due to take place.
One theory is that she died after going off with a client in the Harehills area and that the killer had a close link to Allerton Park, either because they lived or worked there. Tests revealed there were no traces of morphine or other opiate drugs in her body, so drug abuse was ruled out as a cause of death.
Despite extensive inquiries, along with an appeal on the BBC's Crimewatch show, police have not been able to find out what happened to Donna or why her body was left in a location where it was likely to be quickly discovered. Police believe that the person who dumped the body may have a connection to the Allerton Park area.
In 2013, West Yorkshire Police issued an appeal on the 22nd anniversary of the discovery. Detective Chief Inspector Jon Morgan, speaking at the time, said: "There was likely to have been a significant event in the circumstances of the person who had stored Donna's body for such a long period that suddenly caused them to move it.
"That could be that they were moving house, or a partner was moving in with them, or that there were due to be renovations that would disturb the place where they had stored the body." The detective added: "Everything suggests that the answer to Donna's death lies in the Allerton Park area."
He said it was unlikely the location was chosen at random. "We believe whoever left Donna's body there had some sort of connection to that place, that they had either lived or worked in the area or had some other connection to it."
Donna's mother, Lorraine Wilkinson, speaking in 2013, said: "Anyone who has children will understand why as a mother I need to know what happened to Donna. I think about her all the time and need answers as to why this happened to her."
She added: "Donna was a lovely girl who was always very supportive and had a good close relationship with her stepfather. Her problems only started when she got in with the wrong people."
In 2019 there were claims that Donna may have been the victim of child killer John Taylor, who murdered Leanne Tiernan, 16, in 2000. Taylor was also responsible for a string of sexual attacks.
Taylor kept Leanne's body in a freezer in Leeds for nine months before he dumped it when the freezer stopped working. This week Det Insp Stephen King, of West Yorkshire Police’s Major Investigation Review Team, told LeedsLive: "This is a tragic case and one for which the cause of death still remains unknown.
"Donna Healey was last seen alive 35 years ago in 1988. However, she wasn’t reported as a missing person for almost a decade after that.
"Her body was found in 1991, three years after she was last seen alive, but due to its mummified condition, it wasn’t identified as being Donna until 2004. The enquiry into Donna’s death remains open and under review.
"The team looks at any new lines of enquiry and I would urge anyone who may hold information relating to Donna’s disappearance, her death or how her body came to be found in Allerton Park, to please get in contact."
Contact West Yorkshire Police on 101 or go online at www.westyorkshire.police.uk/101livechat. Or contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
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