A body pulled from the Thames close to Putney Pier last month is believed to be that of missing student Samaria Ayanle, the police have said.
The 19-year-old was reported missing by staff at SOAS university on Friday, 8 March. She went missing three weeks earlier on Wednesday 21 February and was last seen on CCTV at her university accommodation near Marble Arch.
On Tuesday, the Met said it was growing “increasingly concerned” about her welfare and launched an appeal for anyone who might have information about her whereabouts., where she was a first-year student, on Friday.
Police say they are growing “increasingly concerned” for the welfare of a 19-year-old university student in London who was last seen nearly three weeks ago.
But on Wednesday, the police said that a body pulled from the river near Putney Pier back on 22 February – the day after she was last seen – was likely that of Samaria Ayanle.
“On Thursday, 22 February at 08:19 hours, police were called by a member of the public to a body on the north foreshore near Putney Pier.
“The body was recovered. No personal property was found. Officers conducted finger print tests but these were negative. Police checked recent missing persons reports but the body did not match the description of any other persons reported missing around that time.”
Metropolitan Police statement
The police say the body’s details were uploaded onto the UK Missing Persons database in the hope it would be identified but it was only after Samaria was reported missing that officers review their body camera footage from when they pulled her body out of the river and concluded it was likely her.
Her death is being treated as unexplained, pending further enquiries.
Anyone with information that could help police should call 101 and give reference 01/60807/24. Or share details online via @MetCC on X.
