Murdered woman found on Queen's Sandringham estate IS missing 17-year-old Latvian, say police

Alisa Dmitrijeva's remains were spotted by a dog walker in woods about a mile from the main gate to Sandringham House

Teenager's family 'devastated' by news

Body was identified following complicated DNA tests

Investigation: The body could be that of Latvian Alisa Dmitrijeva, 17, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire. She vanished last August

A woman found dead on the Queen's Sandringham estate has been named.

The body is that of Latvian Alisa Dmitrijeva, 17, from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk police said today.

Her remains were spotted by a dog walker in woods on farmland near Anmer, about a mile from the main gate to Sandringham House.

Following forensic tests, police identified the victim, who went missing from her home in August.

Alisa's family said they were 'devastated' at the news.

Detective Chief Inspector Jes Fry, senior investigating officer in the case, said: 'Family Liaison Officers have been sent to meet with close family this morning to provide the update.

'I shall now be liaising with officers from Cambridgeshire who have been working on trying to locate Alisa in recent months as a missing person.



'The information they provide will give me and the team an extra focus to the inquiry.

'I should also add we are still trying to establish any activity which took place on or around the site during the timeframe of the end of August to the end of September 2011.

'We would like to identify people who may have worked in that area or were involved in organising or running any specific events that may have taken place'.

In a statement, Alisa's family said: 'We are devastated by the news of Alisa's death. We wish to grieve in private'.

Scientists determined the body was that of Alisa using palm records and DNA from her femur, police said.

Alisa on holiday in Paris with her mother Anzela and little sister Victorija, left, and living in the UK, right



The teenager was last seen on August 31 last year in Friars Street, King's Lynn.

She was reported missing by a family member on September 6.

Since then there have been a number of unconfirmed sightings and police have offered a £5,000 reward for information on her whereabouts.

Police, who have spoken to the Sandringham gamekeeper, estate manager and beaters for potential leads, are keen to speak to anyone with information.

The site where her body was found is used regularly for pheasant and partridge shoots, often attended by members of the royal household.

A pheasant shoot is known to have taken place on December 28.

The body was identified following complicated DNA tests.

Scientists determined the body was that of Alisa using palm records and DNA from her femur, police said.

The force has consulted botanists who say seasonal growth patterns suggest that the absence of ivy growing over the body means it was not put there earlier than August.

Mr Fry said: 'We have not been able to establish how the victim died because of decomposition.

'For example, it is possible she was stabbed but the absence of flesh means we cannot identify that at this stage.'



Macabre discovery: Alisa's remains were found on the Queen's estate at Sandringham less than a mile from where the Royal family gathered for Christmas (bottom left)

Grim discovery: Police guard the entrance to woods where a body was found on the Sandringham estate