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

[SocksKitty]

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

James, 53, who became a PCSO in 2007 and is also a grandmother, is thought to have been walking her dog. It is understood that she worked in the force’s domestic violence unit.

Police refused to say whether she was off duty when she died. Detectives from the serious crime directorate are investigating and no arrests have been made.

Julia James: PCSO found dead in remote Snowdown woodland was murdered, say police | News | The Times

Julia also had a bravery award in 2010 after chasing and getting a shoplifter arrested in Ashford but this does not seem to bear any significance at all. Apart from working with the forces domestic violence unit there is nothing else of any real interest with her career.

 

[SocksKitty]

A street mugging in nearby Aylesham in 2015 where the victim had head trauma. The mugger was in his 30's and short (5ft 4inches) with a black beard. I don't think Julia could have been part of an attempted mugging though as nothing was apparently stolen.

 

[Alyce]

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.

View attachment 295172

Thanks for the map - just highlights how many escape routes there were.

I calculated the time from Julia's home to the place where her body was found to be about a 10 minute walk - based on my assumption that her route was across the small field which is directly at the back of The Crescent and then taking a clockwise route round the large wheat ? field - keeping to the main pathway.
Even allowing for a slow walk that would mean arriving at the place where her body was found by about 3.15pm. If we assume she was attacked immediately at that point and noting that the police arrival was just after 4pm, I think her killer had potentially 20 minutes or more to escape before her body was found.

MOO

 

[SocksKitty]

A 24 minute walk from Cornwallis Avenue where a woman was assaulted in her house in 2007 and taken to hospital with injuries.

 

[tallmansix]

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

Only 6 of these 40 were women and 4 of those were over 30 years ago.

Of the remaining 2, one has had a conviction since the news article (husband killed her) and the other one went missing on the way to Heathrow airport with her family but never found so presumed murdered.

Just saying I can't see how any are connected.

 

[parfaitamour]

Hello, a long, long time lurker but first time poster. Just feel moved by this so close after Sarah, and so geographically nearby too. As a woman nearer to Julia's age, a dog walker, a walker of these very same villages we've spoken of on these pages and about with Sarah, I thought it was time to break the ice and say hello at last.

As a child I grew up right next to Bedgebury forest when the murders happened there, and I recall my mum saying she'd have to stop going for long, rambling walks on her own with the dog through there. Crazy how I'm telling my daughter, and sons, to be careful when they go out with our dog, even with mobiles in everyone's pockets too. Thoughts very much with the family of Julia.

 

[SpursGyal]

Really didn't expect to be here, for this type of case again so soon

Having a quick look through the press releases so far, I do think the police are working on a stranger attack... it's really chilling to think you can just walk in the middle of the day and not come home.

 

[tallmansix]

The latest updates following a press conference this afternoon:

5 key revelations from police on day 3 of Julia James murder enquiry

Some snippets:

"As well as the granular details that have not been released as noted above, there are a number of complicating factors in this investigation that may make progress slow and difficult."

"As it stands, this is still a wide open investigation with many pertinent details yet to be revealed."

The main things that are new from this article are:

• Julia was working from home at the time and taking a screen break but was not wearing uniform or on duty at the time of the murder
• Police cordon substantially increased
• Searches taking place in adjacent fields
• Still no clear indicators of why or who

 

[branmuffin]

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.

It would be easy to hide a weapon in a Barbour jacket. Mine has a huge game pocket the full rear width of the coat. If you can carry bloody game in a pocket, you can carry a bloody weapon.

My impressions of this murder, unfortunately, is that it is personal in nature.

 

[Skigh]

I switch from it being a random attack to it being an attack from someone she knew.

The advantage forensics have is that her body was found within an hour of her being murdered.

 

[SpursGyal]

I switch from it being a random attack to it being an attack from someone she knew.

The advantage forensics have is that her body was found within an hour of her being murdered.

The police focusing on the day before and they day of made my first thought could they be thinking someone was waiting for her? following her? - The police asking people not to go walking alone or straying from usual routes is what's made me think they believe it to be random.

 

[neteditor]

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.

When I think of bridleway I think of grassy and/or muddy pathways, potentially not the sort of thing that's easy to ride a bicycle on? I don't know what they're like in Kent though. Generally they don't tend to be neat tarmac in my experience.

Blunt trauma could have been caused by using any convenient rock lying about. Or a hefty piece of wood like a branch or an old fence stob lying about the woods. Needn't necessarily have been something brought along for the job.

 

[Lindsay Lou Who]

The interview with the ex-partner is interesting. If I were the family I would not like how he gives details of his conversation with their son when he broke the news. He talks too much. MOO.

Completely agree with you. I thought it was actually odd that he spoke out and quoted the conversation he had with their son to the Media. Although I am a very private person as are my immediate family so this may be usual behaviour for most families.
MOO

 

[Lindsay Lou Who]

So after reading through today's updates I'm completely torn if this was a random attack or something a little more planned, if say maybe Julia used this route regularly / habitually to walk the dog.
I live in a village location and everyone knows or recognises one another so a stranger in the area would definitely stand out more than in a town or city.
Also thinking of a motive, with a flasher in the area just days before could there have been some sort of sexual motive behind the attack?

MOO

 

[SocksKitty]

Only 6 of these 40 were women and 4 of those were over 30 years ago.

Of the remaining 2, one has had a conviction since the news article (husband killed her) and the other one went missing on the way to Heathrow airport with her family but never found so presumed murdered.

Just saying I can't see how any are connected.

I was only recently looking at the Ashley Dighton murder which happened 26 miles away in Ashford. I have also been looking at the Bedgebury forest murders which also happened in woodland. In all three cases there were no apparent motives. With Ashley the blunt force trauma included his head being decapitated and never found and his rib removed which would appear to be a Modus Operandi of its own. The Bedgebury murders were many years ago now so unlikely to be a connection as the first murder happened 42 years ago so the perpetrator could be either passed or an OAP by now.

 

[SocksKitty]

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.

As you say - does seem to be evidence of some deviants in the area in the days leading up to the attack. The recent local crime information for the area shows violence/Sexual crime being half the crime in the area for March 2021. Local Crime Information for Holt Street, Nonington, Dover, CT15 4JA - March 2021

 

[branmuffin]

I was only recently looking at the Ashley Dighton murder which happened 26 miles away in Ashford. I have also been looking at the Bedgebury forest murders which also happened in woodland. In all three cases there were no apparent motives. With Ashley the blunt force trauma included his head being decapitated and never found and his rib removed which would appear to be a Modus Operandi of its own. The Bedgebury murders were many years ago now so unlikely to be a connection as the first murder happened 42 years ago so the perpetrator could be either passed or an OAP by now.

Where gun ownership is a normal part of life, murders involving guns are commonplace due to the availability. So the murder weapon doesn't necessarily connect one crime to another unless ballistics show one. Where guns are not readily available all manner of weapons become the norm whether that is knives, hammers or any object that could cause blunt force trauma. So the type of injuries are more common to the type of weapon rather than any connection between the victims. There would have to be more indicators to suggest a connection, imo.

 

[nao]

Would there need to be a weapon? Would punch, kick, stomp be classified as blunt force trauma?

 

[SpursGyal]

Would there need to be a weapon? Would punch, kick, stomp be classified as blunt force trauma?

Depending on the forces used, I believe so, also, the impact of a fall after an attack maybe? As often seen in some one fatal punch cases.

 

[Stumpyaura]

Would there need to be a weapon? Would punch, kick, stomp be classified as blunt force trauma?

Very true, the case of Louise Smith involved a large tree branch/log