Detectives seeking clues in hunt for killers of 22 unidentified women: "Don't let these girls be forgotten"

The 22 women mostly met violent deaths. Their bodies, some dismembered, were found in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands over a span of 43 years — the most recent in 2019. Police say some showed signs of abuse or starvation.

But who they were is unknown, frustrating detectives' hunts for their killers.

Police hope that may change with the launch Wednesday of Operation Identify Me. The international appeal with Interpol is seeking public help to put names to the women. Such a breakthrough would, at a minimum, enable police to no longer have to identify the victims by their distinguishing features or apparel, such as "the woman with the flower tattoo" and "the woman with the artificial nails." Other names include the locations where their remains were discovered like "the woman in the canal" and "the woman in the suitcase."