Daughter of missing woman breaks silence as body found 15 years after mum vanished without a trace when she was just 9
THE daughter of a missing woman has broken her silence as a body was found 15 years after she vanished.
Izabela Helena Zabłocka went missing in 2010, aged 30, after moving to the UK from Poland the previous year.
Daughter Kasia, who was just nine at the time her mum disappeared, contacted Derbyshire cops last month before an investigation was swiftly launched and arrests made.
Detectives yesterday found what they believe to be Izabela’s remains in the garden of a home on Princes Street in the Normanton area of Derby.
Kasia, now 25, has spent much of her adult life trying to understand what happened to her mum.
Following the grim discovery, she told The Sun: “I definitely want to know the truth as soon as possible.”
A 39-year-old woman, who was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, has been rearrested.
Two other women, aged 39 and 43, as well as a 41-year-old man, who were all arrested in connection with the investigation over the course of the last week, remain on police bail, pending further inquiries.
Detective Inspector Kane Martin, who is leading the investigation, said: “Izabela’s family are at the forefront of our minds following this discovery and, whilst formal identification has not yet taken place, it is our belief that these remains do belong to Izabela.”
Izabela’s worried family had contacted Polish police on August 29 2010, but Derbyshire cops say the missing person report never reached them.
The British constabulary said the first it was aware of the case was when Kasia contacted them in May.
Izabela’s family reluctantly accepted they would likely never find out what happened after the Polish probe ran cold in the mid 2010s.
Kasia told The Sun last week: “When Mum went missing, I was 9 years old, I was a child.
“It was only when I became an adult that I took up the search for Mum again.
“I did everything to publicise my mother’s disappearance; it took me a lot of time, but I hope I will find out the truth.”
She went on to say: “My family reported the case to the Polish police 15 years ago, but now we are finding out that the British police did not receive the report during those 15 years, and they have only just started an investigation.
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“The Polish police only checked prisons and hospitals and didn’t find anything significant, and after a few years, the disappearance case went to the archive.”
She continued: “I started looking for her on my own as soon as I became an adult.
“I started publicising my mother’s disappearance in Poland, in the media and on YouTube. I did everything I could, and Polish charities helped me with this.
“I started making posters about my mother’s disappearance. I wrote to the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in London, and they wrote back that they would check the prisons in England and Wales, but I did not receive any information on whether this was actually checked.”
The 25-year-old had hoped her mum had simply decided to start a new life, and she would suddenly appear with a new identity.
However, those hopes were quashed when murder arrests were made, with Kasia admitting: “I’m very upset by the news I’ve received, and I’m so sorry that I received this message and not another one.
“I’ve been looking for her for 15 years, and I hope I finally find out the truth.”
‘Piece together information’
Mr Martin went on to say: “We have spoken with Izabela’s family in Poland, and they are aware. Our thoughts are with them at this extremely difficult time.
“Identification of the remains is likely to be a lengthy process, but we will issue updates when we are able.
“I know that reports of these findings will send shockwaves through the local community, and I understand the concern of residents.
“Officers will remain in Princes Street in the coming days, and anyone with concerns is encouraged to speak with them.”
DI Martin explained that a “dedicated team of detectives” would continue their investigation to “piece together information” about the days leading up to Izabela’s death.
Izabela worked at the former Cranberry Foods chicken and turkey factory in Scropton, around 10 miles west of Derby.
Crimestoppers is offering up to £20,000 for exclusive information relating to the investigation that leads to a conviction, with the reward valid for three months until August 27.
Anyone with information can contact the charity via its website, Crimestoppers-uk.org, or by calling 0800 555 111.
Izabela's last movements
2009
Izabela moves to the UK from Poland
2010
The factory worker is living in Princes Street, Normanton
August 28, 2010
She contacts her family for the last time before she vanishes
May 2025
Derbyshire Police launch a fresh appeal for information and launch a murder investigation
May 28
Two women, aged 39 and 43, as well as a 41-year-old man, are arrested and released on bail
June 2
Human remains are found in a garden of a house on the street where Izabela lived
June 3
A 39-year-old woman, who was previously arrested on suspicion of murder, is rearrested