UK UK - Deborah Linsley stabbed to death on a train to London Victoria, 23 March 1988

[Mrs Marple]

Had a quick search, couldn't find a thread for this.

Reward to solve 1988 train murder

'Ms Linsley, who lived and worked in Edinburgh, had been to visit her parents and brother Gordon in preparation for his wedding, due to be held a few weeks later.

She got on the 14:16 train from Orpington to London Victoria at Petts Wood and entered an old-fashioned compartment.

Her body was found surrounded by blood by British Rail staff at Victoria station at about 14:50.

A French passenger revealed she heard screaming onboard the train after it left Brixton in south London. Miss Linsley's attacker was injured during the incident and left samples of his blood at the scene.'

This would have been a old slam door train, presumably one without an interconnecting corridor. Bloody awful things, were still in use in the early 2000s until they were phased out for safety reasons.

 

[Mrs Marple]

Killer who stabbed Bromley woman 11 times still at large 30 years on

'Detectives have a full DNA profile of the suspect after Debbie fought off her killer , leaving traces of their blood at the scene, but have never been able to match it to anyone on their databases.'

'The senior investigating officer at the time, Superintendent Guy Mills described the attack "savage and brutal" and suggested it was therefore unlikely to have been the killer's first.'

'Approximately 70 people got on and off the train by the time it arrived but the only possible witness was a French au pair, who reported hearing loud screams soon after the train left Brixton.'

Brixton is the last stop before Victoria. Did the killer really strike then and calmly get off at Victoria? That is the end of the line, but surely he would have been covered in blood, and it's a busy station.

 

[bykerladi]

They should submit the DNA to one of those DNA companies like Ancestry.com

 

[meanmaryjean]

They should submit the DNA to one of those DNA companies like Ancestry.com

Perfect case for genealogical DNA tracing

 

[Mrs Marple]

I agree. It should be re-opened and tested every couple of years. You never know. Such a brutal crime in an unusual location though, l wonder if the killer has subsequently died.

 

[bykerladi]

Even if the killer is dead, at least the family can get some answers.

 

[AcbMurders]

Bumping for Deborah
Murder of woman, 26, on train still unsolved despite killer's blood at scene

 

[annpats]

Oh my. What an awful random killing.

The poor lady really was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sounds like the perpetrator was someone who was mentally ill and/or under the influence of drugs.

Brixton certainly was a rough old place back in the late 1980s.

Very unusual how the DNA from the killer's blood has never come up in any other crime. Hard to believe he hasn't re-offended since then.

MOO.

 

[AcbMurders]

Oh my. What an awful random killing.

The poor lady really was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Sounds like the perpetrator was someone who was mentally ill and/or under the influence of drugs.

Brixton certainly was a rough old place back in the late 1980s.

Very unusual how the DNA from the killer's blood has never come up in any other crime. Hard to believe he hasn't re-offended since then.

MOO.

I lived in Brixton in 1988-1990, catching trains everyday, and it wasn’t bad at all in my experience. Never felt threatened or in danger as a young woman. She was so unlucky, poor soul. I’d be surprised if that was the perp’s only crime.

 

[Fede]

Here are some details on the train:
The carriage Deborah was in was a compartment coach with no corridor.
Passengers entered each compartment from a door onto the platform, and once the train was moving there was no way to leave or enter.
This would have made it more difficult for someone to investigate or find the body.

Source: The unsolved 1988 murder on a London train and the killer still on the loose

 

[bat1963]

I don't see why genetic genealogy hasn't been done in this case as they have the killer's DNA. I think in the US this case would have been solved for several years by now.

 

[Westchester76]

Would a person on the platform be able to see that Deborah was in the carriage alone as the train pulled in?
If no, and as you couldn't access the carriage from inside the train, it was just a ridiculous case of bad luck for the poor woman. . He was obviously armed with a knife regardless, in the middle of the day. Has to be a serial offender / murderer surely.

 

[bat1963]

Would a person on the platform be able to see that Deborah was in the carriage alone as the train pulled in?
If no, and as you couldn't access the carriage from inside the train, it was just a ridiculous case of bad luck for the poor woman. . He was obviously armed with a knife regardless, in the middle of the day. Has to be a serial offender / murderer surely.

Hello, yes, you could see inside those compartments from the platform. Women were well advised to choose their compartment carefully, as everyone did!

 

[Westchester76]

Hello, yes, you could see inside those compartments from the platform. Women were well advised to choose their compartment carefully, as everyone did!

Has to be a serial offender, who is most likely in prison for another grisly murder. He would of arrived at the station, armed with a knife in the middle of the day. A level of premeditation in being armed, and was waiting for his opportunity. Hard to say how common it would of been for a lone female to be in one of the carriages, i.e did the culprit set out to look for this, or was it pure opportunism.