Nude in the Nettles

The Nude in the Nettles is the name given by the media to the body of an unknown female found concealed under what was reportedly a nettle bush (actually a willowherb bush) near Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, England in 1981. The caller said: “Near Scawton Moor House, you will find a decomposed body among the willow herbs.”

The local village constable attended the location identified but could not initially find the body. However, after careful searching, he uncovered human bones underneath a large bed of Rosebay Willow. In life, the woman was However, the fugitive unexpectedly responded to a request to prove that she was still alive by sending investigating officers two thumb prints and a signature on a blank sheet of paper. The profile was compared to samples from five families, two of whom came forward of their own volition, that could potentially be related to the woman. No match was found.

In 2013 police stated that they had added the woman’s DNA profile to the national database in the hope that a match would be found in the future.