Death of Jessie Earl

The death of Jessie Earl occurred in May 1980, after she disappeared in Eastbourne, on the south coast of England. She was 22 at the time. Her body was discovered in scrubland near the top of Beachy Head in 1989 and the coroner recorded an open verdict at the inquest. In 2000, Sussex Police opened a murder investigation and in 2020, her parents requested that the Attorney General opens a new inquest.

Early life

Jessie Earl was born to Valerie and John Earl. She became an art student, studying at Eastbourne College of Art and Design (now East Sussex College).[1]

Disappearance
Scrubland at the top of Beachy Head with Eastbourne beyond

Earl disappeared on 15 May 1980 in Eastbourne, Sussex. She was 22 at the time.[2] After three weeks, Sussex police flew a helicopter over the South Downs, using a thermal scanner in the hope of finding something.[3]

Earl's body was located in 1989, when a man stumbled across her remains in scrubland at the top of Beachy Head. A volunteer team of metal detectors led by an archaeologist searched the cliffs and found items such as jewellery and belt buckles.[1] Four months after the discovery of the body, a coroner recorded an open verdict at the inquest.[4]

In 2000, the police launched a new murder inquiry. The Detective Chief Inspector leading the investigation commented "We believe that Jessie was murdered."[1] By 2018, the police had no open lines of enquiry, but was reviewing the case every two years. Investigative Reporter Mark Williams-Thomas suggested that convicted serial killer Peter Tobin might be connected to the case,[5] in response the police said they had made no links.[6]

Earl's parents asked the Attorney General to open a new inquest in June 2020. They stated that her body had been found naked and that they had "always known it was murder."[2]

In November 2020 a campaign led by Investigative Reporter Mark Williams-Thomas in a highly unusual move, the Solicitor General gave permission to appeal the verdict for a fresh inquest. The Rt Hon Michael Ellis QC MP said: “I have concluded the initial investigation was insufficient and further lines of inquiry should have been pursued. It is in the interest of justice the application for a new inquest be heard by the High Court.”

Articles

The Mirror, 21st November 2020 'We still hope for truth over our girl's murder after she was found at Beachy Head'

References
  1. "Death in 1980 now murder inquiry". The Times. 22 March 2000. Gale IF0501333417.
  2. "Fresh inquest bid over art student's 1980s death". BBC News. 23 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  3. "More police in hunt for girl aged 14". The Times. 9 June 1980. pp. 2–3. Gale CS36275913.
  4. "Parents' plea over daughter's 1980 death". BBC News. 25 September 2018. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
  5. Williams-Thomas, Mark (2019). "Victims of a serial killer?". Hunting Killers: Britain's top crime investigator reveals how he solves the unsolvable. Random House. ISBN 9781473564190.
  6. "Ex-detective links Eastbourne disappearances to serial killer". Eastbourne Herald. 11 April 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
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