The Nude in the Nettles is the name given by the media to the body of an unknown female found concealed under what was reportedly a nettle bush (actually a willowherb bush) near Sutton Bank in North Yorkshire, England in 1981. The police were notified of the body’s location by an anonymous caller who claimed that he could not give his name for reasons of “national security”. Neither the identity of the woman nor that of the caller has ever been established despite an extensive investigation. Discovery of the victim On Friday 28 August 1981, at around 8:00 am, Constable John Jeffries of Ripon Police received a telephone call at the police station from a man who was described as well spoken and with a slight trace of a local accent. The caller said: “Near Scawton Moor House, you will find a decomposed body among the willow herbs.” The caller then gave instructions on how to find the body. The call lasted for less than a minute. When the caller was asked for his name and address, he stated that he could not give this information for “reasons of national security” and abruptly terminated the call. The local village constable attended the location identified but could not initially find the body. However, after careful searching, he uncovered human bones underneath a large bed of Rosebay Willow. The CID was called to the scene and cleared a large area of undergrowth. The body was discovered near to Sutton Bank Top on an unclassified road between Sutton Bank and Scawton and Rievaulx near the junction with the A170 Thirsk to Scarborough road. It is thought that the body had lain undisturbed for up to two years. A clue was a discarded lid from a tin of meat paste, found to have been sold on 6 October 1979, which was found beneath the body. Police believe the woman was murdered but have never revealed how she died. Although the location was near to the entrance to Scawton Moor House Farm, a popular family picnic area, the body was so well concealed that it was highly improbable that it could have been discovered by accident. The anonymous caller became a suspect in the murder, but his identity was never established. Description of the victim In life, the woman was tall. She had dark brown hair with a length of around 4-6 inches which was