Rita Roberts: Unidentified Murder Victim for 31 Years Finally Identified through Operation Identify Me

After three decades of remaining unidentified, the murder victim commonly referred to as ‘the woman with the flower tattoo’ has finally been named as Rita Roberts. This significant breakthrough is the result of a joint effort called Operation Identify Me, led by Belgian, Dutch, and German police in collaboration with INTERPOL.

Rita, who was brutally killed in 1992, possessed a distinctive black flower tattoo on her left forearm. The breakthrough came when a family member recognized the tattoo through a public appeal, leading to a formal identification and shedding light on Rita’s life.

“The news was shocking and heartbreaking. Our passionate, loving, and free-spirited sister was cruelly taken away. There are no words to truly express the grief we felt at that time, and still feel today,” said Rita Roberts’ family in a statement published by Interpol on November 14.

“Although the news has been difficult to process, we are incredibly grateful to have finally uncovered what happened to Rita. We miss her deeply but are thankful for the excellent support and care provided by Belgium Missing Persons, Antwerp Police, INTERPOL, and Durham Police in the UK. This cross-border collaboration has not only given a missing girl her identity back, but also provided our family with closure,” they added.

Unraveling the Mystery of Rita Roberts

The case of ‘the woman with the flower tattoo’ had remained unsolved for over three decades. On June 3, 1992, the lifeless body of a woman was discovered near the Ten Eekhovelei in Antwerp, Belgium, floating in the river ‘Groot Schijn’. She had been the victim of a brutal crime.

The most distinctive feature of the victim was a black flower tattoo on her left forearm, accompanied by the inscription ‘R’Nick’. For thirty years, her identity remained a mystery. With all leads exhausted and suspicions that she may have come from another country, Belgian authorities turned to Operation Identify Me, hoping that the woman’s tattoo would trigger someone’s memory.

Identifying Rita Roberts

According to the Antwerp public prosecutor’s office, Rita Roberts relocated to Antwerp from Cardiff in February 1992 at the age of 31. Her last communication with her family was via a postcard in May 1992. She stood at approximately 1.7 meters tall and had a sturdy build. Rita had fair skin and shoulder-length dark hair.

She had well-maintained teeth and the aforementioned black flower tattoo with green leaves and the inscription ‘R’Nick’ on her left forearm. She was wearing a dark blue, purple, and light green t-shirt with the words ‘SPLINTER’ and ‘1990’, dark blue Adidas training trousers with three green stripes, and size 40 dark walking shoes of the brand ‘DAG’.

On May 10 of this year, Operation Identify Me was launched, garnering significant media coverage and generating around 1,250 tips from the public. A family member in the United Kingdom recognized the tattoo in the news and promptly notified INTERPOL and Belgian authorities through the Identify Me appeal web page.