Body of woman found burned in lay-by identified by police as Jomaa Jerrare

A 52-year-old woman whose body was found burned in a lay-by has been identified by police.

Jomaa Jerrare was discovered by officers shortly before 2.30am on Monday after they received reports of suspicious activity on Bridgnorth Road, close to Perton, near Wolverhampton.

The force said they believe the victim was driven to the lay-by.

A post-mortem examination has taken place but the cause of her death is under further investigation, police said.

A 41-year-old man from Wolverhampton, who was arrested on suspicion of murder, has since been released without charge.

The force said specially trained officers are working with and supporting Ms Jerrare’s family who have requested their privacy is respected.

Detective Superintendent Tom Chisholm, of Staffordshire Police, said: “We’ve had a tremendous response from the public but, again, I must stress, this is the early stages of a major investigation and we are pursuing many lines of inquiry.

“We need to understand Jomaa’s movements prior to her death and want to hear from anyone who knew her or has seen her over the last few months. We are keen to understand where she has been frequenting and who she has been associating with.

“We believe that she was driven to the lay-by in Bridgnorth Road. Did you witness anything suspicious or see any vehicles in the area between 1am and 3am on Monday? Do have local dashcam or CCTV footage?

“It may be you know someone was out at that time or their pattern of behaviour changed. Please get in touch with us if you can help or have information.”

He added: “This is a shocking and dreadful incident and our team of detectives is working tirelessly to establish what has happened and bring those responsible to justice.”

Police have urged anyone with information about the incident to come forward.