The chilling unsolved murder of a woman whose body was found stuffed inside a tree
The cold case remains a mystery decades later
AN unsolved British murder has plagued the nightmares of children for decades.
In 1943, the body of a woman was found stuffed inside a hollow tree – and the case has since run cold.
Even though the victim has never been officially identified, the horrific story has haunted generations.
As sinister graffiti continues to spring up across Birmingham and Worcestershire, here’s everything we know about the chilling case…
What’s the evidence?
In 1943, four boys were playing in the Hagley Woods, Worcestershire.
After deciding to climb a tree, they stumbled across the grisly remains of a woman inside the hollow wych elm.
Investigators considered the possibility of Clara’s name being short for Clarabella, which would explain why “Bella” was named in graffiti.
Another theory that’s passed through generations is that ‘Bella’ was killed for being involved in black magic.
Just like in other witch-related cases, the bones of the victim were scattered around in a ritualistic way.
In 1944, a tip-off was given to police by a Birmingham prostitute.
The woman claimed that her fellow street-walker friend Bella had gone missing three years previously, after working on the Hagley road.
On one of the pages, the words “I PUT BELLA IN THE WYCH ELM” were scrawled in maniacal writing – but could he have been the culprit?
Over 73 years after the body was uncovered, the same question remains: “Who put Bella in the wych elm?”
Decades on, the mystery is still as fascinating and chilling as ever, with many calling on the police to re-consider the evidence or to carry out some DNA tests.