Suspected human remains found in woodland could be those of murdered student midwife Joy Morgan.
Ms Morgan, 20, was murdered by fellow churchgoer Shohfah-El Israel, 40, who refused to reveal where her body was dumped.
Police probing the discovery of suspected human remains just outside of Stevenage, Herts, said it was "too early to say" if it was Ms Morgan, but it "is a line of inquiry".
The suspected body was found by a member of the public in Norton Green on Saturday morning.
Ms Morgan, a University of Hertfordshire student, was last seen at a church event in Ilford, north-east London, on Boxing Day last year.
She was reported missing in February and her body was not found during extensive searches of woodland by police.
Officers had searched woodland in Norton Green following her disappearance.
After Israel was convicted of murder in August, Ms Morgan's family pleaded with him to reveal the location of her body.
A Hertfordshire Constabulary spokesman said: "Police were called by a member of the public at 7.43am on Saturday to reports of a suspected human body found in woodland off of Chadwell Road, Stevenage."
"Dishonest and manipulative" Israel, of Cricklewood, north-west London, was found guilty of Ms Morgan's murder following a trial at Reading Crown Court.
The killer, whose birth name is Ajibola Shogbamimu, was jailed for at least 17 years.
He had lied to police when he was arrested, claiming he had dropped Ms Morgan off at her student accommodation in Hatfield after a celebratory dinner at the American-founded Israel United in Christ Church they attended in Ilford on December 26 last year.
He later admitted he had spent two nights alone with the University of Hertfordshire student in his flat.
But he claimed his lies were due to concerns about having broken church rules banning women from being alone with men other than their husbands.
A signal from Ms Morgan’s phone, which has never been found, was detected in Israel’s car in the Stevenage area on December 28, at which point the jury was told he was most likely “looking for somewhere to dispose of the body”.
The keys to her accommodation were discovered in the footwell of his car after his arrest in February.
Passing sentence, Judge Michael Soole told him: “Only you know the circumstances of your terrible deed and why you did it.
“The court has heard the most moving personal statement from Joy’s mother Carol Morgan, which speaks of Joy’s warm, loving and caring personality and character.
“On top of all this must be the very particular and continuing distress and suffering which flows from your cruel and cowardly silence about Joy Morgan’s final resting place.”
Speaking outside court in August, Ms Morgan’s mother Carol pleaded with Israel to reveal the location of the body.
She said: “Give me my baby back, he knows where she is. The way I hear it he was besotted with her… if he loved her give her back up to us so I can bury my daughter.
“If I get to see her before I die I’ll be very grateful.”
