UK - Julia James, 53, murdered, Snowdown, Kent, 27 April 2021 *ARREST*

[Skigh]

Having watched the presser, the chief kept reiterating they're asking for people with information about anyone local acting in an unusual way. I cant seem to find this written out but it is in the recordings of if.
It seemed odd to me that he seemed to be stressing that they want info about a local person acting in an unusual way. I reckon they have a suspect, just need some more solid leads to them.

JMO

I heard it as any information from local residents about anything they saw which might seem suspicious, not anything about a local resident.

 

[mucbetam]

*First post after a great many years as occasional lurker*

I have done some limited work among criminologists and with legal professionals in the system, and tend to follow these sorts of cases, less of morbid curiosity than of a desire to will (get behind in spirit) the detectives and other investigating members involved to get to the bottom quickly and to get sight of developments as they emerge - and for that thanks to fellow committed members here. I am though, a pure amateur for the purpose of this post.

Some observations on the language and presentation from this sky article and this Yahoo news video with article. This article from the Independent the latest I could find (timestamped 1 minute @ time of writing).

The approach I will take to this is to observe the statement, and consider between the lines of what is being said. While this might seem speculative, as an experienced researcher, I believe this method have some limited scientific basis as well. However, I am also just offering a stream of unqualified consciousness. This is not an easy exercise, because ethically, I would like to be very careful, while expressing myself on a public forum, not to compromise or prejudice any issue so as to offer any kind of advantage or help to the actual perpetrator of the heinous act, or to offer misleading information. Therefore, anything below should be considered only as naïve fiction.

Experienced members will probably find that in some ways I am stating the obvious and for that I apologise. For example, as members of the public we actually have quite little to go on.

Lines that stood out for me from the two public statements given by assistant chief constable Tom Richards, in [] my own words:

THEME / METAPHOR 1: Cards are on the table around the possible assailant and killer - but that does not mean that there isn't a full deck of cards - if anything it is that there IS a full deck of cards, no-one knows for sure yet which jack is the rogue

...There are no identified suspects [and the tasked group] is trying to understand exactly what happened.

= No identified suspect is not the same as no suspects or nobody reported in by members of the public, or by professionals who know the community and wider community.
= No identified suspect does not mean no identified suspicious vehicle or driver. From the pool of potential suspects and evidence, I would say that the police are rapidly closing in and will have a breakthrough very shortly.
= It is not so much that blanks are being drawn, as much as there blocks of missing information in the narrative due to the relatively remote location. The value of the submitted information base already should not be discounted and should be rigorously analysed. I would not be surprised if potential alibis for people, if not people themselves are being approached right now under no caution as part of voluntary information gathering.
= That this seems to have been a somewhat frenzied and impulsive attack (a) does not mean it was not planned; (b) is suggestive to me that there was probably a significant element of under-the-influence. The killing in my view was an opportunistic revenge attack.
= I am of the view that there were significant anger issues, prior contact with the police for petty or low level crime, possible domestic violence, and that the suspect recognised the victim, not necessarily knew her from direct contact, but could have been on her radar. I believe that the suspect probably felt a very significant sense of rejection by society, injustice concerning institutions, and had developed a profound hatred for women, and the police.
= "yet" pre-supposes, in my view, imminent understanding and hypotheses in spite of the "not". The options have been mapped out as far as possible, and "prioritised" in terms of probability or likelihood.
= ...Incredibly useful and important information ... [from] ... members of the community and the wider community ... that is helping us piece together what happened on Tuesday. The emphasis is highly suggestive of both a volume of information, and a usability - the information gained does allow narratives to be constructed, and there are potential suspects in there.
= Significance of Wednesday is suggestive that there was suspicious behaviour that has already been identified from the Wednesday. This to me suggests that the suspect knows the area well and may have revisited the area, or left the area on the Wednesday, and has been seen by one or more potential witnesses.

Other notes

...do not yet understand the motive for this attack - I think this highlights how the attacker probably had less of a motive than he or she probably thought they did, that this is somewhat of a step change from internalised rage, to externalised rage - therefore earlier violence I do not expect to have been serious. I would suggest that they might have felt victimised by the police and other such services.
= My view is this is someone with alcohol and drug issues, who probably is not engaged by services around their issues, and has either experienced or is the perpretator of violence, and petty crime, but is not a ringleader or gangleader type. More likely abandoned by relationships, poor relationship with parents, espeically the mother, and
...We are very very anxious... - aside from genuine stress of the situation and the need for speed - I believe this supports the notion that the police are closing in now and looking for a closer.
...Suspicious or strange... - somebody not from the area, or who behaves in a suspicious manner.
...we do not yet understand the motive - keeping options open regarding motivation
...no indication of possessions - the suspect fled immediately.
...Tuesday or Wednesday

What is not being said then:

...whether there are any suspects whatever - to what extent the incredibly useful and important information has already led to identifiable information on suspects and/or vehicles.
...whether we genuinely have have a senior officer and team that is bewildered - overwhelmed by information / data yes - incapable or incompetent - absolutely not.

I would go as far as to say that my speculative (must be) thought and hope on this is that there are a maximum of 2 or 3 individuals here of which 2 will be eliminated from enquiries and another taken into police custody before the weekend is up. The rest is going to be almost academic. Evidence-gathering, call to CPS, detailed interrogative interviews. One obvious suspect taken in.

That's all I have.

 

[Alyce]

I heard it as any information from local residents about anything they saw which might seem suspicious, not anything about a local resident.

I've just listened to it and agree - the exact wording was

I think we're just interested in anything, from particularly a local resident, that seemed out of the ordinary, that seemed unusual, that seemed different, that seemed suspicious

 

[sleuthheywood7]

There are already calls to re-open the case of the Chillenden murders in light of this event. It seems unlikely that the same person is responsible for two attacks 25 years apart, but who knows.

Michael Stone was a violent drug addict and certainly capable of attacking people but the conviction was, in my opinion, unsafe. I am not entirely convinced Levi Bellfield was the culprit either. What is certain is they are both currently in prison so cannot have committed this crime.

Same day of the week and same time of the day (around 4pm) as the Chillenden murders. As you said, its very unlikely so far apart, but still strange. JMO

 

[SocksKitty]

Just two-and-a-half miles from Chillenden, where mum and daughter Lin and Megan Russell, as well as dog Lucy, were murdered in 1996. Also not far from where the policeman in custody Wayne Couzens comes from. Could be a motive by unknown person(s) against a PCSO.

 

[SocksKitty]

There is also the unsolved Ashley Dighton brutal murder just 26 Miles away in Ashford, Kent. 13 years since my brother was murdered - somebody must know who did it

 

[SocksKitty]

It's a bit baffling the lack of information being provided by the police, wondering if they do have suspicions and are trying to trip someone up?

Also with reports of a flasher in previous days and a woman being accosted by someone in a van (as far as I know neither were reported to the police) maybe there had been reports made to the police which weren't followed up adequately?

How strange that a flasher was reported in previous days and a PCSO murdered. I wonder if someone deliberately killed her and it was a copy cat killing following the Sarah Everard case but this time a police person targeted. Do we know what kind of state the victim was found in.

 

[tallmansix]

Have been following this since it was announced on Wednesday, really shocking case, thoughts to the families and friends of Julia, let's hope for a break through soon.

Just some thoughts and questions:

1. We are now 4 days / 96 hours since the murder - the golden time for getting evidence and suspects has gone and there doesn't seem to be much unless as a previous poster said, the police are keeping their cards close to their chest as they may have a suspect but little evidence and do not want to risk an arrest until they know they can charge somebody.
   
   
2. Most females murdered in the UK are by partner / ex-partner and usually in their home - this is one of the exceptional cases in appearing to be a non-domestic murder but unusually not the typical city dwelling / dark alley / late night victim scenario and doesn't appear to be a sex attack from what we have been told so far. The significant others have all spoken to the press and I'm sure their alibi's were quickly checked.
   
   (EDIT does seem to be evidence of some deviants in the area in the days leading up to the attack but doesn't seem to be an attempt to get the victim into a concealed area plus they had a dog which I thought would put off a sex attacker, even if the dog is small they can be noisy attracting attention)
   
   
3. No attempt to move / conceal the body - whoever it was didn't care for delaying the process of investigation which I find quite unusual although could indicate confidence in the planning of the offence in that it avoided contact with the victim / DNA / more evidence etc.
   
   
4. Such a small village / isolated area - I guess that's why police are concentrating on getting witnesses - these types of places tend to notice a strange car / person especially in the afternoon on a sunny day - victim was found quickly so sounds like people out and about around the area around that time. Does that mean it was a local so wasn't noticed or confirming well planned so the individual was aware and hid their track well?
   
   
5. The location of the attack looked prepared, the woodland adjacent to where the attack took place was the ideal spot on the whole route around that field, attacker could have laid in wait out of sight suggesting pre-planning but does that mean it was specific for the victim or anybody that passed by?
   
   
6. But how did they escape that area unnoticed, on foot it looks a good 10-15 mins to a road and an unusual car would be obvious on those country lanes, does this suggest they return home locally all on foot?

Wish we could do more to help with the enquiry but there is just so little evidence to go on.

 

[Alyce]

snipped from above

6.But how did they escape that area unnoticed, on foot it looks a good 10-15 mins to a road and an unusual car would be obvious on those country lanes, does this suggest they return home locally all on foot?


From the place where Julia's body was found it's 300 metres to Aylesham Road - 3 minute walk

 

[annpats]

But did they escape on foot? If she was coshed over the head with something heavy, where did the weapon go? Was it left there at the scene?
If it was heavy it may not have been easy to carry and get an easy getaway on foot.
Plus carrying a blood covered object while walking around always look suspicious, in case you bump into other dog walkers or joggers.

 

[SocksKitty]

Julia James worked alongside domestic violence victims so maybe someone got 'put away' after Julia's help in a case and is now out of prison. Have people checked newspaper archives for domestic violence cases in the same area.

 

[tallmansix]

snipped from above

6.But how did they escape that area unnoticed, on foot it looks a good 10-15 mins to a road and an unusual car would be obvious on those country lanes, does this suggest they return home locally all on foot?


From the place where Julia's body was found it's 300 metres to Aylesham Road - 3 minute walk

Thanks, I probably should have been more detailed because I'd made some assumptions and worked beyond the road 3 minutes away being used for 3 reasons:

1. The road is a narrow national speed limit road - parking there would stand out like a sore thumb, it would block the carriageway in one direction or block the pavement if used - not a good place to leave a car when committing a crime.
2. To get to / from that road would retrace the steps of the victim and potentially meet witnesses along the way that would later discover the body.
3. The only other close roads are in the Snowdown housing estate or the travellers site itself - easily noticed

So I'd made an assumption the perpetrator had come from a different route, potentially through the woods from Aylesbury direction, much more secluded escape path maybe to Spinney Lane near the industrial estate with more place to park without being noticed.

EDIT: Of course the perp could have been on foot / bicycle etc but seems unlikely as you'd want to put some distance down quickly especially leaving a body unconcealed.

However all of that is big assumptions but it's all I've had to work on with so little other evidence. Trying hard to grasp at something.

 

[SocksKitty]

There is really nothing much in the newspaper archives apart from a teenager being arrested in 2012 near the Colliery Rugby club on suspicion of malicious communication.

 

[Kitkat28]

From the BBC article Julia James: Police community officer died from head injuries Julia James: Police community officer died from head injuries
ACC Tom Richards said it was a “rare and isolated event”.

The use of the word “isolated” seems to me like they are reasonably confident that the perpetrator isn’t going to carry on attacking women. How would they know that unless they had some idea of a suspect?

MOO

 

[tallmansix]

EDIT - A better sleuther than me pointed out a witness that contradicts the potential path Julia took in one of the news articles so I've removed that and just put the two key locations - home and crime scene - one of many paths could have been used.

The red lines are paths and tracks marked on the OS maps for the area and therefore potential escape routes leading back to a road.

 

[Alyce]

From the sources in this thread, yellow is the potential route Julia took.

The red lines are paths and tracks marked on the OS maps for the area and therefore potential escape routes leading back to a road. Also the path Julia took leads to a road but I've not marked that in red as well.

View attachment 295162

I dont think she went that way. The witness, SS , was on his driveway and saw her walking past towards the woods. That means she must have turned right out of her house, not left towards Aylesham Road

 

[Skigh]

Devastated family of murdered PCSO say 'her loss will be felt everyday'

 

[Distant Observer]

Very sad. Clearly the police have not divulged all the necessary information for us to do much sleuthing. I don't have any local knowledge but my impressions from visiting other Kent pit villages are that these are not typical of Kent as a whole. They feel a little bit like bits of County Durham transported to the south. House prices are significantly lower than the more desirable Kent villages and I see Aylesham is targeted for expansion probably because the land is relatively cheap. This is relevant only in as much as Aylesham may have quite a bit of rented housing and might have had more incomers than you'd expect for a Kent village. Whenever I read bridleway I always think of cycle path. Maybe the assailant was on a bike which could explain how they disappeared fairly quickly. The big puzzle is the blunt trauma injury. This suggests a relatively weighty weapon - not something someone would carry when on a country walk. I'm reminded of the sad case of Alice Gross who was attacked by a Latvian builder on a bicycle. In fact my best guess at a suspect could be a builder cycling with some tools including a hammer in a rucksack. As for a motive - I think probably random or possibly there had been some previous encounter.

 

[tallmansix]

I dont think she went that way. The witness, SS , was on his driveway and saw her walking past towards the woods. That means she must have turned right out of her house, not left towards Aylesham Road

Thank you - I missed that detail in the news article, read it now and clear that contradicts the potential route shown in one of the newspapers so I've decided to edit my map and remove the route because there are so many paths / directions that lead to the crime scene I cannot be sure which one was taken or the direction that led to it.

Good sleuthing details, thank you.

 

[SocksKitty]

The 40 people murdered in Kent whose killers have never been caught