UK UK - Kate Bushell, 14, Exeter, Devon, 15 Nov 1997

missacorah

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A murdered schoolgirl whose body was discovered by her father, had her throat slashed, a post mortem showed.

Kate Bushell, 14, was found in a pool of blood in a field just 300 yards from her home.
Detective Superintendent Mike Stephens, who is leading the murder inquiry, said: "It was a mindless, ruthless attack, which ripped the girl's throat.
"This was a premeditated attack by a killer who had control of themselves and the victim."
Kate's dad, Jeremy, 44, called police on Saturday when she failed to return home from walking a dog belonging to neighbours.
Mr Bushell, of Exwick, Exeter, Devon, found the body when he searched the field with a police officer.
As more than 100 officers continued the murder hunt, Det Supt Stephens said they had not ruled out a sexual motive for the "horrific crime" as some of the teenager's clothing had been disturbed.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica][/FONT]Forensic tests were being carried out to establish if she had been sexually assaulted. Blood samples were also being tested.
Det Supt Stephens appealed to householders in the Exwick area to check their dustbins to see if any knives, sharp intsruments or bloodstained clothing had been thrown in them.
He added that the neighbours' Jack Russell terrier had been examined forensically to see whether there had been any transference of material, during the attack.
Det Supt Stephens said police needed to know about any suspicious individuals who had been seen in the area over the last few weeks. Kate, described by friends as a caring, bright, music-loving youngster, was walking the dog as a favour for her neighbours who were away.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/31795.stm

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Its the 10 year anniversary of Kates death and no one has ever been charged despite an arrest back in 1998. Such a tragic waste of life.
 
I often think of Kate, she was killed the day my second son was born. :(

I know that they have linked her murder to that of Lyn Bryant, although they have no proof of the link, just similarities between the two murders.

I wonder what came of the possible link to David Newton - I googled but can't find anything beyond the 2008 article posted above.
 
“Detectives who investigated the brutal murder of a schoolgirl 20 years ago have come out of retirement to follow a major new forensic lead.

Kate Bushell was 14 when her throat was slashed as she walked her neighbour's dog along a quiet country lane 300 yards from her home.

The killing, which took place on a Saturday afternoon in November 1997, shocked the nation due to its severity and apparent randomness.

No one was ever caught, despite a manhunt and a £1million investigation.
The hunt for Kate's killer is now the biggest ever murder probe by Devon and Cornwall Police.”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...rement-Kate-Bushell-killer.html#ixzz4xbqq235m
 
Triple killer David Burgess walked out of Leyhill open prison the year before and remained on the run for around 18 months. He was arrested in this area and was a person of interest in at least 3 more murders in the south of England
 
2021
Kate Bushell, 14, had her throat in a field just 300 yards from her home in the Exwick area of Exeter, Devon, on November 15, 1997.


Kate Bushell, 14, had her throat in a field just 300 yards from her home in the Exwick area of Exeter, Devon, on November 15, 1997.
Schoolgirl Kate Bushell grotesquely had her throat slit in a field just 300 yards from the front door or her home.

The 14-year-old was walking her dog in Exeter, Devon, when she was attacked at around 4.45pm on November 15, 1997.

When she failed to return home, concerned parents Kerry and Suzanne went out to search for her.

Her father, a retired local Government officer, found Kate with the dog waiting nearby at around 7.30pm.

An inquiry into her death, its biggest ever murder investigation, cost Devon and Cornwall Police more than £1 million.''
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My mum thinks the father did it but no one else seems to believe this theory. Thoughts? I speculate perhaps a robbery gone wrong
Did your mum live in Exwick in the 90s?

The father found Kate's body, but he had already called the police to report Kate missing. Presumably he was with his wife that afternoon/early evening.

I'm not sure what a robber would be looking to gain from a schoolgirl out walking a dog. Unlikely she would have much cash, jewellery or (in those days) a mobile phone. The killer walks Kate across fields. Why would a robber bother to do that? He already has her in a quiet enough location for a robbery or mugging.
 
Did your mum live in Exwick in the 90s?

The father found Kate's body, but he had already called the police to report Kate missing. Presumably he was with his wife that afternoon/early evening.

I'm not sure what a robber would be looking to gain from a schoolgirl out walking a dog. Unlikely she would have much cash, jewellery or (in those days) a mobile phone. The killer walks Kate across fields. Why would a robber bother to do that? He already has her in a quiet enough location for a robbery or mugging.
My mum has lived in Exwick for her entire life. Her reasoning to why he did it as that he hugged her body when he found her. She believes he did it so the DNA on her body would not be suspicious.
 
My mum has lived in Exwick for her entire life. Her reasoning to why he did it as that he hugged her body when he found her. She believes he did it so the DNA on her body would not be suspicious.
Interesting theory, but I'm guessing the police were satisfied with Mr Bushell's alibi for between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. The lead detective Mike Stephens said he was 90% sure the killer was from Exwick or had local knowledge.
I wonder if Mr Bushell had his DNA compared to the partial profile from the Lyn Bryant murder. The police seem to think the Bushell and Bryant murders may well be linked.
 
Interesting theory, but I'm guessing the police were satisfied with Mr Bushell's alibi for between 4.30pm and 7.30pm. The lead detective Mike Stephens said he was 90% sure the killer was from Exwick or had local knowledge.
I wonder if Mr Bushell had his DNA compared to the partial profile from the Lyn Bryant murder. The police seem to think the Bushell and Bryant murders may well be linked.
My dad agrees that she was killed by somebody in the local area but that Kate's murder was not linked to Lyn Bryant or that other woman in Weston-Super-Maire.
 
The Derby Evening Telegraph on 12/3/1998 mentions that police have already taken 4,000 DNA samples in the Kate Bushell case. There's also mention of an additional DNA profile having been found.
 
The Derby Evening Telegraph on 12/3/1998 mentions that police have already taken 4,000 DNA samples in the Kate Bushell case. There's also mention of an additional DNA profile having been found.
It's scary to know that the killer could be hiding in plain sight. It could even be a loved one or a close friend.

My uncles actually knew Kate and she was in my grandparents house. I'm pretty sure my mum actually met her once.
 

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