Spain’s “Woman in Pink” Murder Victim Identified 20 Years Later
Interpol Identifies Woman Found Murdered in the Netherlands 20 Years Ago
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Published September 25, 2025, at 21:46 (UTC)
After two decades, authorities have identified a woman whose body was discovered in the Netherlands in 2005. The woman has been named as Zavada,aged 31 at the time of her death.The breakthrough came through Interpol’s “Identify Me” appeal, a program designed to identify unidentified human remains globally.
The identification was confirmed through kinship DNA analysis, comparing Zavada’s DNA to that of a close relative.Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza stated, “After 20 years, an unknown woman has been given back her name.”
The “Identify Me” Appeal: A Growing Success
The case marks the third prosperous identification resulting from the “Identify Me” appeal, launched to leverage international cooperation and advancements in forensic technology.
In 2023, the appeal led to the identification of Rita Roberts, a British woman murdered in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1992. Relatives recognized a tattoo on roberts,leading to her identification as reported by Interpol.
Earlier in 2024,Ainoha Izaga Ibieta Lima,33,was identified when Paraguayan authorities matched fingerprints uploaded by Spanish authorities against their national databases according to Interpol.
Ongoing Efforts and unidentified Cases
Despite these successes, the “Identify Me” campaign continues to seek solutions for 44 remaining cases of unidentified women. the program relies on the sharing of information, including photographs, dental records, and DNA profiles, between law enforcement agencies worldwide.
Interpol encourages anyone with information about these cases to come forward, hoping to provide closure to families and bring perpetrators to justice.Details of the ongoing cases can be found on the interpol website.