Human remains discovered in a Leicester park have been formally identified as those of a Polish woman who vanished without a trace nearly two decades ago. The finding brings a tragic end to a 19-year mystery for the family of Malgorzata Wnuczek, but police stress their investigation remains very much active.
A Decades-Long Mystery
Malgorzata Wnuczek, known to her family as Gosia, was just 27 years old when she disappeared on 31 May 2006. The Leicester resident, originally from Poland, was last seen catching a bus from her workplace at Peter Jackson Logistics on Sunningdale Road into the city centre. She left behind a three-year-old daughter, Ola. Her final contact with relatives was a text message sent two days before she went missing.
For years, her disappearance remained a painful open case. A significant development came in June 2023, when information from Polish authorities prompted Leicestershire Police to search stretches of the River Soar between Mill Lane and Upperton Road. While that search did not yield results, a breakthrough came months later.
The Discovery and Investigation
In October 2025, police revealed that human remains had been found in scrubland off the Great Central Way, near Watkin Road. Those remains were sent for forensic analysis, which has now confirmed they belong to Ms Wnuczek. Detective Superintendent Jenni Greenway expressed her deepest condolences to the family, acknowledging that while the identification ends years of uncertainty, it does not end their grief.
The investigation has seen international cooperation. A 39-year-old man was arrested in the Greater Manchester area in connection with the case on suspicion of assisting an offender and perverting the course of justice. He was subsequently released with no further action. Police confirm a file is being prepared for the coroner and that they continue to work closely with colleagues in Poland.
An Ongoing Quest for Answers
Detective Superintendent Greenway emphasised that the case is far from closed. "The investigation into Malgorzata’s death remains very much open and is ongoing," she stated. She also made a fresh appeal for information, stressing that "it’s never too late to help." Anyone with details about Ms Wnuczek's movements in 2006 or information about her death is urged to contact Leicestershire Police.
This case echoes another recent development in a long-running missing person investigation. In June 2025, remains were found during a search for Izabela Zablocka, a 30-year-old Polish woman who vanished in Derby in 2010. Detectives continue to appeal for information about the days leading up to her disappearance.
The identification of Malgorzata Wnuczek closes one chapter for a family that has waited 19 years for answers, but the search for justice and a full understanding of what happened to her continues.
