Belgium, La Louvière - WhtFem, 25-35, 1m66, brown hair, ill-maintained teeth, 25 Jan 2025

[anijs6]

On 25 January 2025, at 4.40pm, the skeleton of a woman was found on the towpath along the Centre Canal, near Rue Hector Ameye in La Louvière. To date, the identity of this woman is unknown.

She was believed to be between 25 and 35 years old. She was about 1m66 tall and had incomplete and unkempt teeth. She had dark brown hair at the roots and mahogany brown hair at the tips.

She wore black imitation leather leggings with the image of a snowflake on the right front pocket, a black hoodie of the brand ‘Basic By NPO’, a dark blue short-sleeved T-shirt with white lines of the brand ‘Pull and Bear’ (size L) and beige and white trainers of the brand ‘New Yorker’ (size 38).

Official post by the Belgian Police

 

[ZaZara]

This is very strange. They found a skeleton on the towpath? How could that happen?
The area and the towpath part of the town, there are houses and streets next to it. The location looks like a place where people walk their dogs, or take a walk without a dog. A parking place for various cars is nearby.
IMO the remains of that unfortunate woman did not become skeletonized on that location.

Did you manage to find more info, @anijs6 ?

 

[anijs6]

This is very strange. They found a skeleton on the towpath? How could that happen?
The area and the towpath part of the town, there are houses and streets next to it. The location looks like a place where people walk their dogs, or take a walk without a dog. A parking place for various cars is nearby.
IMO the remains of that unfortunate woman did not become skeletonized on that location.

Did you manage to find more info, @anijs6 ?

Indeed, very strange. Both the police and the press talk about a skeleton in Dutch and French.

Sudinfo says: “A partially clothed human skeleton was found in an advanced state of decomposition.” So that indeed suggests she has been deceased for some time, also considering the weather in January.

 

[anijs6]

Picture/reconstruction by Stichting Coldcasezaken

 

[Susikatze]

She looks like she could have been homeless or from the substance abuse scene - especially her teeth point to that. I also believe she may not have been Belgian but was an immigrant, maybe Southeast Europe/Balkans/Bulgaria, maybe Romani.

I hope she can get her name back. She had a family, friends, maybe children.

jmoo

 

[Selune]

From the look of her facial features i would also suggest Southeastern europe. Her teeth could be from both drugs or more likely malnutrition. Pull and Bear isn't a very spreaded store. They only have 10 locations in Belgium all located in the big cities. 2 Only around Leuven and Louvain la neuve. I mean she could have gotten it from other sources but its likely she frequented the store.

 

[anijs6]

The woman has been identified.

Twitter post by the Federal Police
Facebook post by the Federal Police

 

[The4TierBridge]

The woman has been identified.

Twitter post by the Federal Police
Facebook post by the Federal Police

I’m assuming no name because it’s Europe?

 

[anijs6]

I’m assuming no name because it’s Europe?

Probably.

From what I could find from this article:
According to what we have heard, DNA analysis was decisive in this case. [...] The investigation followed several steps: first, the clothes were examined and missing persons databases were consulted. When no matches were found, investigators resorted to DNA analysis. Since 2018, the genetic profiles of missing persons, their relatives, and unidentified remains have been compared in databases, including those abroad. This step, although effective, takes time. Finally, a composite sketch was created from the skeleton, which was also a lengthy process. According to Commissioner David Rimaux of the missing persons unit, one lead was considered at one point, but it turned out to be false: the person in question was actually alive. No further information has been released at this stage regarding the victim's identity or the circumstances of his death. The investigation is ongoing.

 

[ZaZara]

The victim was found in January and identified in July / August. I think that is pretty quick given the problems that the investigators faced. Well done!

 

[ninetimesfifteen]

So she was reported as missing and her relatives gave their DNA to a database to help find her, which led to her identification? Am I understanding this correctly?

 

[anijs6]

So she was reported as missing and her relatives gave their DNA to a database to help find her, which led to her identification? Am I understanding this correctly?

Info from another article:
Since July 2018, DNA profiles established from mortal remains, traces of missing persons or persons related to a missing person have been recorded and compared in databases. This valuable information makes it possible to identify unidentified remains, as was the case with this woman. It is also useful for searching for missing persons. Initially, when she was discovered in La Louvière, the young woman in question had not been reported missing. She was subsequently reported missing. The case is under investigation.

Also, new info in the article: it appears that she had not been heard from for over 10 years.

 

[The4TierBridge]

The deceased has been publicly named as 26yo mentally disabled woman Laura Durand from Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, her death has been classed as a homicide, and four people have been arrested in connection to her murder.

La Louvière : Après un an d'enquête, quatre personnes inculpées dans le cadre de la mort de Laura Durand, dont le corps était à l'état de squelette

Le décès avait rapidement été jugé suspect. Près d'un an après la découverte d'un corps réduit à l'état de squelette dans la région de La Louvière,...

www.dhnet.be

Laura, 26 ans, de Marche-en-Famenne, a été martyrisée et mise à mort à Houdeng : quatre suspects placés sous mandat d’arrêt

La dépouille retrouvée à Houdeng était celle de Laura Durand, 26 ans, une jeune femme originaire de Marche-en-Famenne, souffrant d’un handicap mental. Onze mois après cette découverte, quatre individus ont été placés sous mandat d’arrêt. Ils sont soupçonnés d’avoir abusé de la faiblesse et...

www.sudinfo.be

(it seems all the signs of "drug addiction" found at autopsy were actually due to long-term torture)

 

[ZaZara]

From the link mentioned in the previous post:
La Louvière : Après un an d'enquête, quatre personnes inculpées dans le cadre de la mort de Laura Durand, dont le corps était à l'état de squelette


[25 January 2025 ] Very quickly, several details noted at the scene caught the attention of investigators and suggested a potentially suspicious death. The investigation was launched immediately.

For nearly a year, the Homicide Division of the PJF had been working meticulously to find answers: interviews, bank and telephone analyses, forensic investigations, cross-referencing of police data... Nothing was left to chance. These efforts finally paid off, as they led investigators to the victim's last place of residence and identified several potential suspects.

Between 1 and 5 December 2025, several arrests were made throughout Belgium. These led to the custody of four individuals. Three of them were charged with murder, deprivation of care, degrading treatment, abuse of weakness of a vulnerable person, and illegal detention. The fourth person was charged with failure to assist a vulnerable person in danger.

The four defendants were remanded in custody after appearing before the investigating magistrate. The investigation was conducted under the direction of the investigating judge and coordinated by the heads of the investigation, with close collaboration between federal and local police services.


BBM


RIP Laura Durand

 

[Susikatze]

The deceased has been publicly named as 26yo mentally disabled woman Laura Durand from Marche-en-Famenne, Belgium, her death has been classed as a homicide, and four people have been arrested in connection to her murder.

La Louvière : Après un an d'enquête, quatre personnes inculpées dans le cadre de la mort de Laura Durand, dont le corps était à l'état de squelette

Le décès avait rapidement été jugé suspect. Près d'un an après la découverte d'un corps réduit à l'état de squelette dans la région de La Louvière,...

www.dhnet.be

Laura, 26 ans, de Marche-en-Famenne, a été martyrisée et mise à mort à Houdeng : quatre suspects placés sous mandat d’arrêt

La dépouille retrouvée à Houdeng était celle de Laura Durand, 26 ans, une jeune femme originaire de Marche-en-Famenne, souffrant d’un handicap mental. Onze mois après cette découverte, quatre individus ont été placés sous mandat d’arrêt. Ils sont soupçonnés d’avoir abusé de la faiblesse et...

www.sudinfo.be

(it seems all the signs of "drug addiction" found at autopsy were actually due to long-term torture)

View attachment 630401View attachment 630402View attachment 630403

The recons were not very accurate. Made her look darker and much older.
That case reminds me of Peggy Johnson, very similar. Poor girl, you deserved better. Were the perps false friends, caregivers, employers or family members? Peggy was abused and tortured by the family that employed her as nanny and promised to take care of her special needs.

 

[anijs6]

"The fourth person implicated is a neighbour who, although aware of the abuse inflicted on Laura, did not act to help her. ‘She had received fairly explicit calls for help,’ according to investigators. Her inaction has led to her being charged with failure to assist a person in danger. Many wonder whether this tragedy could have been avoided if she had acted sooner."
Source

Poor Laura, she must have been so scared and vulnerable.

 

[Susikatze]

"The fourth person implicated is a neighbour who, although aware of the abuse inflicted on Laura, did not act to help her. ‘She had received fairly explicit calls for help,’ according to investigators. Her inaction has led to her being charged with failure to assist a person in danger. Many wonder whether this tragedy could have been avoided if she had acted sooner."
Source

Poor Laura, she must have been so scared and vulnerable.

Really sounds similar to Peggy Johnson. Family members of her killer just watched and did nothing to help her. Her murderer who was supposed to be a motherly friend, employer and caregiver abused Peggy physically and mentally for months until Peggy died from neglect and abuse. The murderer claimed Peggy overdosed (she never consumed drugs) and made her husband dump the body.

I am afraid this is unfolding to be a similar case.

jmoo