Murder of Helen Fleet

Last updated

Murder of Helen Fleet
Helen Fleet, murdered 28 March 1987 in Weston-super-Mare.jpg
Fleet walking her two dogs in the woods at Worlebury Hill in early 1987.
Location Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England
Date28 March 1987
Attack type
 Homicide by stabbing and strangulation
VictimHelen Fleet, aged 66
PerpetratorUnknown
MotiveUnknown

Helen Fleet was a woman who was murdered in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England, on 28 March 1987. She was discovered stabbed, beaten, and strangled in the woods at Worlebury Hill, where she had been walking her two dogs. Her murder remains unsolved.

Contents

Background

Helen Fleet was born in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire in about 1921, [1] and lived in Crewe, Cheshire until the age of 18. During World War II, she joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service, where she trained as a lorry driver, before transferring to the Women's Auxiliary Air Force. She went on to have a career for an Oxfordshire engineering firm. Her first marriage ended in divorce and she was widowed from her second marriage in about 1967. [2]

After a period of living with her mother and widowed sister in Wales, Fleet and her sister moved to Weston-super-Mare around 1983 after their mother died. [3] [2] At the time of her death, Fleet, 66, was living with her sister, Betty Brough, 60, at 38 Osborne Road, Weston-super-Mare. [4]

The murder

The murder took place in the woods at Worlebury Hill. Weston Woods, Weston-Super-Mare - geograph.org.uk - 6546889.jpg
The murder took place in the woods at Worlebury Hill.

On the morning of 28 March 1987, Fleet dropped her sister off to go shopping, then called in at a bakery and petrol station, before heading to Worlebury Hill to walk her two dogs. [5] [1] Fleet usually walked her dogs in the woods twice a day along a certain route of about a mile. [2] She was last seen alive at 10:50am, after parking her car along Worlebury Hill Road. [6]

The murder took place sometime between 12:20pm and 12:40pm, [3] with three people subsequently reporting hearing a series of screams around 12:20pm. [2] [7] Fleet was stabbed with a knife ten times, beaten around the head and body, and strangled in what was described by Avon and Somerset Police as a "motiveless, vicious attack on a frail old lady". [8] The murder took place in the section of woodland between Worlebury Hill Road and Upper Bristol Road, approximately 200 yards from houses and a bus stop. [4]

At 12:40pm, Fleet's body was discovered by Sylvia Lewis, a fellow dog owner and acquaintance of Fleet, who also frequently walked her dogs in the area. She found Fleet's two dogs barking and running loose in the vicinity of the body. [4] Upon discovering Fleet, Lewis ran to a nearby house on Worlebury Hill Road and alerted David and Hazel Davies that her "friend had collapsed". [8] The Davies followed Lewis into the woods and, after determining that Fleet was dead, Hazel Davies returned to her house to alert the authorities. [1]

A post-mortem examination concluded that Fleet died from manual strangulation and stab wounds. [1] The clothing on her body was found to be disarranged, but police subsequently ruled out sexual assault and robbery. [8]

Police investigation

Initial response and inquiries

An incident room was established in the now-demolished Weston-super-Mare police station at Walliscote Road, seen here in 2011. Weston-Super-Mare - Police Station - geograph.org.uk - 2810034.jpg
An incident room was established in the now-demolished Weston-super-Mare police station at Walliscote Road, seen here in 2011.

Avon and Somerset Police immediately set up an incident room at Weston-super-Mare police station and a mobile headquarters at Worlebury Hill. A task force of approximately 120 officers were assigned to the case and carried out an examination of the murder scene, [8] while house-to-house enquiries and vehicle checks were made in the surrounding residential areas. [4] The murder weapon, believed to have been a small-bladed knife, was never found. [9] By the end of March 1987, police had taken approximately 70 statements, received 70 phone calls from members of the public, and had followed up 200 lines of inquiry. [3]

On 31 March 1987, police put up 500 posters in Weston-super-Mare and Worlebury Hill in the hope it would lead to further members of the public coming forward with information. [7] On 4 April 1987, 50 police officers returned to the crime scene to speak to walkers, joggers and horse riders looking for leads. By this time, police had received over 240 calls with information and had taken numerous statements, but were not any closer to catching the killer. [10] By 6 April 1987, the police, who had 80 officers assigned to the case, had taken 349 statements. [11]

On 6 April 1987, the police issued the descriptions of three individuals they wished to interview and eliminate from their inquiries. One was a boy, aged 15 to 18, who was seen wearing a "distinctive" ski jacket and was walking alone in the direction of the water tower at 11:30am. The second was a man in his early twenties seen running along nearby Ashbury Drive, sometime between 11:30am and 12:30pm, and the third was a boy, about 12 years of age, who was seen on the morning of the murder in the woods carving into a piece of wood with a small knife near the water tower at 10:15am. [11] [12] The 12-year-old boy was subsequently interviewed and ruled out of the investigation. [13]

On 11 April 1987, a murder reconstruction took place in the attempt to bring forward further leads. A female police constable re-enacted the final two hours of Fleet's life by driving in Fleet's car from her home in Osborne Road with her two dogs to walk them in the woods at Worlebury Hill. While walking the dogs along the usual route Fleet took, police questioned any passersby in the area. [14]

Potential hoax caller

On 12 April 1987, the police received a phone call from a woman who claimed to live within two miles of the murder scene and suspected a close relative of committing the murder. She subsequently phoned a further three times over the following week, but refused to give her identity out of fear for her safety and would ring off before being questioned in detail. [15] In her final call, she claimed the relative had confessed to the murder over "some row over dogs". [16] The police initially believed the caller was likely to be genuine, but later determined it was probably a hoax after the caller failed to appear at the police station as promised and never phoned again. [17] After three weeks of silence, police publicly released an edited recording of her last call in the bid to identify her. [16] It was broadcast on both TV and radio on 6 May 1987, and resulted in several calls. [18]

Reports on youths of interest

By 27 April 1987, there were still 70 officers assigned to the case, although there were no new leads. [17] The police remained interested in speaking to the individual in the "distinctive" ski jacket and the young man seen running in Ashbury Drive. [5] A potential second youth wearing a different ski jacket was reported to have been seen running out of the woods in the direction of Worlebury Golf Club around 12:45pm. [19] A youth wearing a ski jacket was reported by at least two witnesses running from the vicinity of the murder scene shortly before the body was discovered. [14] A witness on a stationary bus, only 50 yards from the murder scene, also reported seeing a youth walking past wearing what they described as an anorak. [2] Police believed the young man running down Ashbury Drive may have been the same individual who was seen running down Farm Road, carrying a yellow hard hat or crash helmet. [20]

1987 police photofit of the youth seen talking to Fleet two days before her murder. Videofit of youth suspect in murder case of Helen Fleet.jpg
1987 police photofit of the youth seen talking to Fleet two days before her murder.

Six weeks into the investigation, police received new information from a man about a youth, aged 16 or 17, who he saw chatting with Fleet at Worlebury Hill on 26 March 1987 at 4:10pm, two days before the murder. Police released a photofit of the youth on 5 May. Police believed that he was possibly one of the same youths seen running from the scene on the day of the murder as his description was similar. [21] The photofit resulted in 12 calls over the next couple of days with possible identities. [22]

Crimewatch appeal and response

By 21 April 1987, the police decided to appeal for information through the BBC television programme Crimewatch . A re-enactment of Fleet's movements on the day of her murder was filmed over the course of three days in May 1987 using actors, [5] [23] with actress Sylvia Marriott portraying Fleet. Prior to them being rehomed together, Fleet's two dogs also took part in the re-enactment. [24] The film was included in the Crimewatch episode broadcast on 21 May 1987. [25]

One call received after the broadcast was from a man who claimed he knew who the killer was, but he failed to identify himself and rang off. Another said he believed he was the youth seen talking to Fleet two days before her murder, [26] but he also rang off before he could be questioned further. On 28 May 1987, police publicly released the name given by the youth as Keith Spears, [27] which did not match any of the names received from the public based on the photofit. The police were not able to trace the youth and he did not contact them again. [28]

Later leads

By August 1987, 1,156 statements had been taken, 2,873 houses visited in the town and 5,300 people interviewed. With the police no closer to catching the killer, only one detective sergeant and two detective constables remained working on the case. [29]

On 13 September 1987, the police received a call from a man who claimed he knew someone called Steve who was in the woods on the day of the murder and had "struck an old woman in Worlebury Woods on the day of the murder". The unidentified caller rung off before further questioning. [30]

On 14 April 1988, HTV broadcast an episode of Police 5 on which officers from Avon and Somerset Police reminded the public about the facts of the case in a bid to receive new leads. [31] The broadcast resulted in police following up ten calls the following day. [32]

A year after the crime, police estimated that approximately 40 people who were in the vicinity of the crime scene had not been traced. Three officers continued to be assigned to the case and suspects arrested for related crimes were still being questioned about the murder. A report from a forensic psychiatrist concluded the killer was probably aged between 17 and 24 with sexual problems, and police were aware of five individuals matching that age range who were seen at the scene between the time Fleet was last seen alive and the time her body was found. [33]

Developments in later years

In October 1997, Fleet's murder was one of 17 unsolved murder cases from the previous 30 years to be re-examined by Avon and Somerset Police. [34] Numerous pieces of evidence from the original inquiries, including clothing, blood samples and fingerprints, were reanalysed using the latest techniques in forensic testing and DNA analysis. [35]

In 2000, another reconstruction of Fleet's murder was broadcast on HTV's Crimestoppers and resulted in a new witness, who claimed he had seen Fleet talking to a youth, who was playing with her two dogs, on the day of the murder. The witness believed the pair "knew each other and were talking quite openly". Police believed the killer was most likely a "local boy who had a good knowledge of Worlebury Woods". [20]

In March 2017, on the 30th anniversary of the murder, Avon and Somerset Police made a new appeal for anyone with information to come forward. [36] The police carried out further DNA analysis on remaining evidence and received a number of calls with new leads, some of which provided names, but no further developments in the investigation were announced. [37]

There has been speculation that Fleet's murder may be linked to the similarly apparently motiveless killings of the 14-year-old schoolgirl Kate Bushell at Exwick, Devon, in 1997, and 41-year-old woman Lyn Bryant at Ruan High Lanes, Cornwall, in 1998. In 2018, retired police intelligence officer Chris Clark noted the similarities between the three cases, although they have never been officially linked by police. [38]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jill Dando</span> English journalist and television presenter (1961–1999)

Jill Wendy Dando was an English journalist, television presenter and newsreader. She spent most of her career at the BBC and was the corporation's Personality of the Year in 1997. At the time of her death, her television work included co-presenting the BBC One programme Crimewatch with Nick Ross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Penny Bell</span> 1991 murder in London, England

Ruth Penelope "Penny" Bell was an English businesswoman who was murdered on 6 June 1991 in the car park of Gurnell Leisure Centre, Greenford, London. She was stabbed over fifty times as she sat behind the wheel of her car. Her murder remains unsolved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Lindsay Rimer</span> 1994 British unsolved murder

Lindsay Jo Rimer was a 13-year-old British girl from Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire who disappeared on the evening of 7 November 1994. The following year, her body was found in the Rochdale Canal outside the town; she had been strangled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Leanne Tiernan</span> High-profile murder case in the United Kingdom

The murder of Leanne Tiernan was an English child murder involving a 16-year-old schoolgirl who was abducted less than one mile from her home on 26 November 2000, while returning from a Christmas shopping trip in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and subsequently murdered. The missing person inquiry for Tiernan that followed was one of the largest in the history of West Yorkshire Police, involving the search of around 1,750 buildings, underwater searches of thirty-two drainage wells, the draining of a two-mile section of a canal and the halting of household waste collections.

John David Guise Cannan was a British murderer, serial rapist, serial abductor, and suspected serial killer. He was convicted in July 1988 and given three life sentences for the murder of Shirley Banks in Bristol in October 1987; the attempted kidnapping of Julia Holman on the previous night; the rape of a woman in Reading, Berkshire, in 1986; the rape of his girlfriend in December 1980; and several other abductions, attempted abductions and sexual offences. He became eligible for parole in September 2023, which was refused the following month.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worlebury Camp</span> Iron Age hillfort in Somerset, England

Worlebury Camp is the site of an Iron Age hillfort on Worlebury Hill, north of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England. The fort was well defended with numerous walls, embankments and ditches around the site. Several large triangular platforms have been uncovered around the sides of the fort, lower down on the hillside. Nearly one hundred storage pits of various sizes were cut into the bedrock, and many of these contained human remains, coins, and other artefacts. During the 19th and 20th centuries the fort suffered damage and was threatened with complete destruction on multiple occasions. Now, the site is a designated Scheduled monument. It falls within the Weston Woods Local Nature Reserve which was declared to Natural England by the North Somerset Council in 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Joanna Yeates</span> 2010 event in the west of England

Joanna Clare Yeates was a landscape architect from Ampfield, Hampshire, England, who went missing from the flat she shared with her partner in Clifton, Bristol, on 17 December 2010 after an evening out with colleagues. Following a highly publicised appeal for information on her whereabouts and intensive police enquiries, her body was discovered on 25 December 2010 in Failand, North Somerset. A post-mortem examination determined that she had been strangled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Babes in the Wood murders (Brighton)</span> Murder of two girls near Brighton in 1986

The Babes in the Wood Murders were the murders of two nine-year-old girls, Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway, on 9 October 1986, by a 20-year-old local roofer, Russell Bishop in Wild Park, Moulsecoomb, Brighton, Sussex, England. Bishop was tried and acquitted in 1987. The case remained open until 10 December 2018, when Bishop was found guilty of the murders in a second trial. The investigation into the two girls' murders is the largest and longest-running inquiry ever conducted by Sussex Police.

Kings Heath Stadium was a greyhound racing track in Birmingham that existed from 1927 to 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Margaret Martin</span> American homicide victim

Margaret Martin was a resident of Kingston, Pennsylvania, United States, who went missing on December 17, 1938, and was found dead in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, several days later. Martin was a recent graduate of the Wilkes-Barre Business College. On December 17, 1938, she met an unknown man who claimed to be offering her a secretarial job, and was never seen alive again. Her body was discovered in the wilderness 25 miles (40 km) away by a hunter four days later. Martin's death resulted in a lengthy manhunt. Numerous suspects were examined, but no one was ever convicted of the crime. As of 2024, it remains an unsolved case.

This is a list of sex workers who were murdered in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ughill Hall shootings</span> 1986 shooting near Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England

On 21 September 1986, Ian Wood shot and killed his partner Danielle Ledez and her daughter Stephanie, and severely injured Christopher, Ledez's elder child, at Ughill Hall in Bradfield, Sheffield, United Kingdom. Wood left his .38 Enfield revolver in the kitchen and called the police before fleeing the scene. He went on the run for over a week, making several telephone calls to journalists and family members. Eight days later he threatened to jump off the Amiens Cathedral in France but was talked down by the police after seven hours. He was then extradited back to Sheffield for trial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Janet Brown</span> 1995 murder in Buckinghamshire, England

Janet Brown was an English nurse who was murdered by an intruder in her house in Radnage, Buckinghamshire in 1995. The case remains unsolved, and the investigation remains open. A link has been suggested between her murder and that of 50-year-old Carolanne Jackson 10 miles away in Wooburn Green, which occurred in similar circumstances and on almost the exact same day two years later. In 2015 it was announced by police that a DNA profile of Brown's killer had been extracted.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sidney Hill</span> British merchant and philanthropist (1829–1908)

Simon Sidney Hill was an English philanthropist, merchant, gentleman farmer, and justice of the peace. From beginnings as a linen merchant, he made his fortune as a colonial and general merchant trading from South Africa. He supported and endowed almshouses in Churchill and Lower Langford, and manses for Methodist clergy at Banwell and Cheddar. He founded Methodist churches at Port Elizabeth, Sandford, Shipham and Blagdon besides the Wesley Methodist church and school at Churchill. Many of his charitable foundations still survive.

Melvin Johnson was an American serial killer, rapist and sex offender who was posthumously linked to at least four murders committed in Decatur, Illinois from 1984 to 1988, three of which were sexually motivated. He was never convicted of murder during his lifetime, and died before he could be brought to trial for the crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murders of Kate Bushell and Lyn Bryant</span> 1990s murders in England

The murders ofKate BushellandLinda "Lyn" Bryant, a 14-year-old schoolgirl and a 41-year-old woman, respectively, occurred in separate incidents in the West Country, England. The events occurred on 15 November 1997 and 20 October 1998 respectively. The similar circumstances of the murders led investigators to conclude that there is a high possibility the murders are linked, with both killed with knives while walking dogs along isolated lanes.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 White, Andrew (2 April 1987). "West murder probe opens" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 61. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Presenters: Nick Ross (21 May 1987). "Helen Fleet". Crimewatch. 30:50 minutes in. BBC. BBC One.
  3. 1 2 3 White, Andrew (31 March 1987). "Murder: new plea by police" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Trump, Simon; Tabrett, Ian (30 March 1987). "Murdered by a maniac" . Western Daily Press . pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  5. 1 2 3 Tabrett, Ian (21 April 1987). "TV bid to trap killer of widow in wood" . Western Daily Press . p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ↑ "Family of murdered Helen Fleet urges 'conscience' search". BBC . 3 April 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Find this fiend! Press aids killer hunt" . Western Daily Press . 1 April 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  8. 1 2 3 4 White, Andrew (30 March 1987). "Victim of a maniac" . Bristol Evening Post . pp. 1, 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  9. ↑ "Dragnet for murder knife" . Kent Evening Post. 30 March 1987. p. 9. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  10. ↑ Tabrett, Ian (4 April 1987). "Fifty police return to scene of frenzied killing" . Western Daily Press . p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  11. 1 2 White, Andrew (6 April 1987). "Murder: hunt for three witnesses" . Western Daily Press . p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ↑ White, Andrew (14 April 1987). "Police vigil to catch a killer" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  13. ↑ Trump, Simon (13 April 1987). "Ski-jacket man may hold key to murder" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  14. 1 2 Tabrett, Ian (11 April 1987). "Jackie walks murder trail" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 1. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  15. ↑ Tabrett, Ian (18 April 1987). "Murder hunt fear for mystery caller" . Western Daily Press . p. 26. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  16. 1 2 "Tape is clue in murder probe" . Birmingham Evening Mail . 6 May 1987. p. 13. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  17. 1 2 Mourant, Andrew (27 April 1987). "Murder team in fresh appeal" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 4. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  18. ↑ Tooze, Steve (7 May 1987). "Tape riddle plea in woods murder" . Western Daily Press . p. 5. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  19. ↑ "TV bid to trace widow's killer" . Clevedon Mercury . 23 April 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  20. 1 2 Churchill, Laura (28 July 2018). "The dog walker stabbed ten times, battered around head and strangled to death in woods". Bristol Post . Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  21. ↑ Tabrett, Ian (6 May 1987). "Mystery friend of woods murder victim" . Western Daily Press . p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  22. ↑ Tabrett, Ian (8 May 1987). "Murder hunt: hopes rise" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  23. ↑ White, Andrew (9 May 1987). "New tests on victim" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  24. ↑ "Murder widow's dogs are safe" . Western Daily Press . 21 May 1987. p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  25. ↑ White, Andrew (21 May 1987). "TV chance to catch a killer" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  26. ↑ "Murder hunt police get new clues" . Bristol Evening Post . 22 May 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  27. ↑ Trump, Simon (28 May 1987). "Police name man in murder hunt" . Western Daily Press . p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ↑ White, Andrew (28 May 1987). "Murder squad in search for caller" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 8. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ↑ "Widow killer: hunt goes on" . Bristol Evening Post . 28 July 1987. p. 10. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  30. ↑ Corfield, Bob (17 September 1987). "Caller clue in Fleet murder" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 2. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  31. ↑ Barber, John (14 April 1988). "TV: How Robert's art took off in America" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 26. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  32. ↑ "Killer hunt phone-in" . Bristol Evening Post . 15 April 1988. p. 3. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  33. ↑ Trump, Simon (28 March 1988). "The wall of silence that shields Helen's killer" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 9. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  34. ↑ Harding, Julie (25 October 1997). "Hunt to find Helen's killer" . Bristol Evening Post . p. 9. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  35. ↑ "DNA advances used to probe mystery death" . Weston & Worle News. 6 November 1997. p. 7. Retrieved 23 October 2024– via British Newspaper Archive.
  36. ↑ "New appeal in Helen Fleet 1987 murder case". BBC . 28 March 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  37. ↑ "Fresh leads in Helen Fleet murder inquiry as police investigate new names". The Weston Mercury . 8 April 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
  38. ↑ Reines, Jeff (9 October 2018). "Unsolved murder of Lyn Bryant could be linked to two other killings, retired detective claimed". Cornwall Live . Retrieved 23 October 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.