Human remains found in search for ‘murdered’ woman who vanished 15 months ago

Human remains have been found in the search for a missing woman last seen 15 months ago.The Metropolitan Police said remains belonging to Norma Girolami have been found at a churchyard in north London.Girolami was 70 years old when she was last seen in August last year. The Met opened a murder investigation two months later. Detectives investigating her disappearance found remains during a search at a churchyard in Friern Barnet Lane, the Met said on Friday.They have been formally identified as belonging to Girolami and her family have been notified.Detective Chief Inspector Kate Blackburn said: ‘Despite accepting that Norma was no longer alive, I know that her family are deeply affected by the news that her remains have been found. Our thoughts are very much with them.’My team has spent more than a year searching for Norma and there is a sense of relief that we have found her remains which will undergo forensic examination in due course.’She added: ‘Norma’s family and friends have endured a year of not knowing what had happened to her and our investigation remains ongoing. If you have any information, no matter how small a detail it may seem, please do get in touch.’Girolami lived in the Highgate area of northwest London. She would often travel to Brent Cross for shopping and was a member of Archway Leisure Centre.She also liked to visit Leigh-on-Sea. The 70-year-old travelled there on Thursday 19 August last year from Barking and returned to London later that day. All communication from Girolami stopped that evening, according to the Met.