Head-in-bag probe centres on 'torrid life'

Michael Howie examines the death of Heather Stacey, including the revelation that she may have died in late 2007

DRESSED in white coveralls, forensic officers shine their torches on the bare walls of the first-floor flat.

They are searching for clues that may help them solve one of the most gruesome riddles that has faced police in years.

The scene is familiar to anyone who watches the television forensic crime drama CSI – but for the last few days has been a grim reality for the people who live in Edinburgh's Royston Mains Place, which has become the centre of the now-notorious "head in the bag" case.

Yesterday, as the inquiry into the death of Heather Stacey and the disposal of her body parts across the north of Edinburgh continued, the scant pieces of fresh information to emerge only served to raise more questions.

The badly decomposed head of the 44-year-old woman was found in an Ikea bag on a footpath in Newhaven, Edinburgh, on Hogmanay.

More human remains, rumoured to include her torso, arm and leg, were found in undergrowth next to a car park off Granton Road West, and a few hundred yards away by a path close to Granton Square, which has remained closed off since last Thursday.

The identification of Ms Stacey, a mother of two, on Friday, brought home the tragedy of the case.

It is thought that she had lived in Lasswade, Midlothian, with Douglas Woolard, a BT engineer – who is thought to have custody of their two children – until 2003.

Residents in Royston Mains Place, which is close to the Lidl and Iceland car park next to where body parts were recovered at the weekend, said Ms Stacey had lived in a flat there.

Detective Police Superintendent Allan Jones, who is leading the investigation for Lothian and Borders Police, yesterday said: "She is described as being a very amiable and pleasant lady."

But he added that Ms Stacey had lived a "pretty torrid" life.

Her family has been notified of her death and are unwilling to speak to the media.

The sense of tragedy, and that of mystery, has been heightened by the fact that Ms Stacey had not been reported as a missing person.

And, if police are correct that she had died as long ago as November 2007, then it would appear that more than a year had passed without anyone being sufficiently concerned about her welfare to contact the police.

It was perhaps not surprising that few residents in Royston Mains Place, a quiet residential street in a poor area of the city, could shed much more light on her life yesterday.

The two questions on most people's minds were, firstly, how did she die, and secondly, why was her body cut into pieces and dumped like rubbish without any regard to her dignity or, more puzzling, to the certainty that they would eventually be discovered?

Police are not yet treating Ms Stacey's death as a murder investigation.

One of her neighbours, John Noon, 75, who lives across the road from the flat which police have been searching since last Wednesday, said: "Officers have been there every day since last week."

Talking of Ms Stacey's death he said: "It's unbelievable. How could anyone do that to anybody?"

Neighbours said the flat had been empty for a couple of months. Another resident said: "It's really sad.

"I didn't know her personally. I don't think she stayed there for very long."

Officers have been combing the flat for forensic clues. Several items, covered in plastic bags, have also been removed.

Scenes-of-crime officers will today conclude a search of undergrowth next to a path that runs south from Granton View.

It is understood that the forensic scientists who have worked on the case will have a meeting later this week to review the evidence.

About 60 officers have been working on the case, which police say is one of the most demanding in years.

Tests are continuing on the body parts found at the weekend, with police expecting them to be confirmed as belonging to Ms Stacey.

Alan Cameron, who works at a Spar shop in Leith, was charged last week with attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

The 54-year-old appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court and was remanded in custody. It is thought the alleged offences took place over the last year.