Finlay (24) had grown up in care and had no regular contact with her family. The Sunday Tribune has been told that attempts had failed to contact a foster carer with whom she once lived in Antrim. It is understood that this woman has moved house and has so far proved impossible to trace.

Detectives are investigating the possibility that Finlay was sexually assaulted before she was killed.

SDLP councillor Declan O'Loan said: "The community feels very strongly that Shirley be given a dignified funeral. I will be talking to police about the funeral arrangements. I would also appeal for anyone with information on this terrible murder to contact police. Given the sadness of this young woman's life, the least we can do as a society is to try to ensure her killers are brought to justice."

Finlay's body was wrapped in a duvet and dumped in a car park in Mount Street on Tuesday. The man who found it thought it was a bundle of rags. Police believe she was murdered elsewhere.

Shirley Finlay was last seen alive 24 hours earlier. She lived in a flat on the Ballykeel Estate, about two miles away. Neighbours said she was a loner who walked around town talking and laughing to herself.

Occasionally, she drank on the street.

So far no suspects for the murder have emerged. Detective Inspector Tom Woods said: "I've been a detective for 28 years and this is one of the most horrible murders I've seen.

We need to establish what happened in the last 24 hours of Shirley's life. We need to know where she was, when she was last seen, was she seen with strangers, was she seen getting into a car with anyone."