The body of murdered teacher Sabina Nessa was not found until hours after her death, the Metropolitan Police said.
The 28-year-old was found dead in Cator Park near her home in Kidbrooke, south east London on Saturday.
Detective Superintendent Luke Marks said there was a “short delay” in finding her body because it was “not on the main walkway”.
Speaking at the force’s New Scotland Yard headquarters, he said: “A member of the public found the body the morning after the attack.
“It wasn’t on the main walkway in the park, so that was the reason for the small delay in Sabina being found.”
Met Police said the force is “horrified” by her death as it launched a fresh public appeal on Tuesday.
Det Supt Marks said: “We are horrified by the shocking murder of Sabina Nessa and our thoughts remain with her family and friends who are being supported by specially trained family liaison officers.
“Our officers are working around the clock to find the person responsible for this fatal attack. Today we are asking you, the public, to help us with our investigation.”
The force believes Ms Nessa was killed at around 8.30pm last Friday as she walked through the park.
Detectives said they were keeping an open mind about the murder and they are considering all possible lines of inquiry, including that she had been attacked by a stranger.
“This did not happen in the middle of the night. People will have been in and around the park at the time,” the force added.
“You may have been walking your dog, or jogging, or driving past and noticed something that caught your attention.”
“If you saw anything at all, even if you think it may not be significant, please come forward. Your information could help us get justice for Sabina and her family.”
Ms Nessa was brought up with her three sisters in Sandy, Bedfordshire, and her father worked as a chef at an Indian restaurant.
Neighbours described her father as “a broken man” after he knocked on their doors to tell them of the devastating news of his daughter’s death.
One said: “He looked in total shock, like a broken man... He said ‘my daughter has been killed’.
“He looked terrible as if the blood had been drained from him. We have seen her grow up. She lived in London but regularly came back. They are a close family.”
Another said: “A lot of family and friends have been going in and out of their house and our hearts go out to them. The family are lovely.”
The Year 1 teacher had worked for just over a year at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford.
“We are devastated by Sabina’s tragic death. She was a brilliant teacher,” the head teacher said.
“She was kind, caring and absolutely dedicated to her pupils. She had so much life ahead of her and so much more to give.
“As a school we are supporting each other through this very difficult time, and we will be providing specialist support to those who need it.”
Police are also asking for people to check any dashcam footage in case they have inadvertently captured something that may be of interest.
Patrols remain in place in the area and other open spaces across Lewisham and Greenwich.
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