murder investigation was launched after a woman was fatally injured when she walked into an attacked street in Ilford.
Police rushed to Cranbrook Road at 2:44 a.m. Sunday after reports of an assault.
Officers found a 36-year-old woman with serious head injuries at the scene.
She was rushed to hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
A crime scene remains in place.
The victim was walking along Cranbrook Road in the direction of Gants Hill station when she was attacked, police said.
Formal identification has yet to take place. The victim’s family was informed and received support from trained officers.
Chief Superintendent Stuart Bell, who leads the Met’s East Area BCU, said: “Our investigation remains in the critical early stages and is now being led by homicide detectives from Specialism Crime.
“The woman was subjected to a gruesome assault and unfortunately died of her injuries.
“Urgent investigations have been underway since early Sunday morning to identify the woman. At this stage, formal identification has yet to take place, but the woman’s family has been informed and is receiving support from specially trained officers.
“Teams of dedicated officers work quickly to determine what happened and identify the person responsible. This includes full forensic investigation of the scene and the surrounding area, house-to-house inquiries and a focus on identifying all available CCTV. No arrests have been made so far.
“Local people will see a significant police presence in the area today and in the coming days.
“I understand that for women, especially locally, this is an incredibly disturbing incident, and I urge you to stay awake but not worry.”
A father who lives near the scene told the PA news agency that he was “worried” about other local women, although this was the first serious incident he remembered that happened in the area during the 15 years he lived there. has.
Subhash, 60, who lives just off Cranbrook Road, said he was awakened by a helicopter around 3 p.m.
“It makes me a little worried that something like this is happening on my doorstep.”
He added: “It’s not just my daughter, it’s other girls, other girls, other women in the area.
“It’s quite a serious matter, how safe are you in your own area?”
Detective Mark Rogers, who is leading the investigation, said: “It is essential that my officers speak to every possible witness and everyone with information that can help the investigation.
“We appeal to anyone who was in the Cranbrook Road area of Ilford between 02:00 and 03:00 on Sunday morning to make contact, including anyone who drove through the area and possibly had dashcam footage.
“We also want to hear from anyone who has seen anything suspicious in the wider Ilford area overnight.”
Anyone with information or footage, or any witnesses, is asked to call the large incident room on 0208 345 3715.
Alternatively, you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at crimestoppers-uk.org.