UK UK-Sandra Court, 29, last seen exiting taxi, Bournemouth, found strangled, clothed, no shoes, in a ditch, Avon Causeway, 3 May,1986, *Re-opened*.

[dotr]

16 Feb 2026

Chilling discovery after woman's body found strangled in ditch

Police have launched a new investigation after Sandra Court was last seen in Bournemouth in the early hours of May 3, 1986 - the day QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton

www.mirror.co.uk

''Police have launched a new investigation after Sandra Court was last seen in Bournemouth in the early hours of May 3, 1986 - the day QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton''​

''It now appears that QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton in the hours before the murder. The Queen Mother had lunch on board the ship later that day to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the liner's maiden voyage. Records show the QE2 departed on May 3. Wright was believed to be on board.

The smirking serial killer - who is serving a whole life tariff for killing six women - this month finally admitted to murder, pleading guilty to strangling Victoria Hall. Like his known victims, Sandra had been strangled and was abducted while alone in an urban area before being dumped in water in a rural location.''

Letter could bring justice 22 years later

Sandra Court was found strangled in a water-filled ditch in 1986 ¨C but police are still determined to catch her killer and believe an anonymous…

www.dailyecho.co.uk

10th April 2008 By John Hoskins

''He or she wrote an anonymous letter to detectives investigating the death of a woman who had been strangled and dumped in a water-filled ditch.
A fingerprint on the second-class letter, which bore a Southampton postmark, separates the killer of Sandra Court from justice.''

Dorset detectives mounted a full-scale murder investigation after teenagers on a Duke of Edinburgh award scheme made the horrifying discovery at the Avon Causeway, between Burn and Sopley, on May 3, 1986.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled, but with minimum force.

Her body was identified the following day as that of the 29-year-old Sandra Court, who had just finished her job as a section head in the transactions department of a major insurance company to take up a post as nanny to a family in Spain the following week.
She had celebrated her departure, first at an office party, and then at Steppes nightclub in Swithuns Road, Bournemouth.''

''It read: Dear sir, I amwriting to tell you that the tragic death of Sandra Court was a complete and utter accident, in no form is the person a killer or murderer. The person concerned is deeply unhappy, hurt and in total shock. The only reason the person has not come forward is the fact of being afraid that their explanation will not be believed. Please I beg take this letter to be of the truth.''

''The claim was later repeated in a telephone call to the BBCs Crimewatch programmeafter a TV reconstruction of her last movements.''

 

[wtiger]

he's gonna get the blame for every unsolved murder from Brighton to bournemouth now isn't he?

a very handy way to clear up some old cases

how about the old method of letting the evidence lead???

 

[lee sumner]

16 Feb 2026

Chilling discovery after woman's body found strangled in ditch

Police have launched a new investigation after Sandra Court was last seen in Bournemouth in the early hours of May 3, 1986 - the day QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton

www.mirror.co.uk

''Police have launched a new investigation after Sandra Court was last seen in Bournemouth in the early hours of May 3, 1986 - the day QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton''​

''It now appears that QE2 crew member Wright had docked 30 miles away in Southampton in the hours before the murder. The Queen Mother had lunch on board the ship later that day to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the liner's maiden voyage. Records show the QE2 departed on May 3. Wright was believed to be on board.

The smirking serial killer - who is serving a whole life tariff for killing six women - this month finally admitted to murder, pleading guilty to strangling Victoria Hall. Like his known victims, Sandra had been strangled and was abducted while alone in an urban area before being dumped in water in a rural location.''

Letter could bring justice 22 years later

Sandra Court was found strangled in a water-filled ditch in 1986 ¨C but police are still determined to catch her killer and believe an anonymous…

www.dailyecho.co.uk

10th April 2008 By John Hoskins
View attachment 645735
''He or she wrote an anonymous letter to detectives investigating the death of a woman who had been strangled and dumped in a water-filled ditch.
A fingerprint on the second-class letter, which bore a Southampton postmark, separates the killer of Sandra Court from justice.''

Dorset detectives mounted a full-scale murder investigation after teenagers on a Duke of Edinburgh award scheme made the horrifying discovery at the Avon Causeway, between Burn and Sopley, on May 3, 1986.

A post-mortem examination revealed she had been strangled, but with minimum force.

Her body was identified the following day as that of the 29-year-old Sandra Court, who had just finished her job as a section head in the transactions department of a major insurance company to take up a post as nanny to a family in Spain the following week.
She had celebrated her departure, first at an office party, and then at Steppes nightclub in Swithuns Road, Bournemouth.''
View attachment 645736
''It read: Dear sir, I amwriting to tell you that the tragic death of Sandra Court was a complete and utter accident, in no form is the person a killer or murderer. The person concerned is deeply unhappy, hurt and in total shock. The only reason the person has not come forward is the fact of being afraid that their explanation will not be believed. Please I beg take this letter to be of the truth.''

''The claim was later repeated in a telephone call to the BBCs Crimewatch programmeafter a TV reconstruction of her last movements.''

if it was an accident. why dump sandra in the river like trash.

 

[Nikynoo]

If you google Sandra’s name you should come across a blog (I think unsolved murders in Dorset) it gave a really good overview of the evidence at the time. I don’t think it was Wright, but rather someone Sandra knew.

 

[Nikynoo]

Letter could bring justice 22 years later

Sandra Court was found strangled in a water-filled ditch in 1986 ¨C but police are still determined to catch her killer and believe an anonymous…

www.dailyecho.co.uk

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Can’t they get DNA from fingerprints nowadays? Maybe in USA, I think I just read that in the Nancy Guthrie thread.

 

[lee sumner]

If you google Sandra’s name you should come across a blog (I think unsolved murders in Dorset) it gave a really good overview of the evidence at the time. I don’t think it was Wright, but rather someone Sandra knew.

yes, the mystery letter said a woman killed sandra, and the boyfriend helped her cover it up with help from there family. its very rare women kill other women by strangulation. it made me think was it the other way round, meaning the man killed sandra and his girlfriend helped cover up the crime.

 

[tes1984]

he's gonna get the blame for every unsolved murder from Brighton to bournemouth now isn't he?

a very handy way to clear up some old cases

how about the old method of letting the evidence lead???

Chris Clark does this all the time. He did the same thing with Sutcliffe and Halliwell, accusing them of dozens of murders, including ones where the forensics clearly point to others.

The police took 5,000 sets of fingerprints from POIs in the Sandra Court case. They have prints from the letter, Sandra's cheque book, and possibly also her body.

The fingerprints obviously don't match those of Wright or Cannan, although at least Cannan can be placed in the area that day via a parking ticket the police found.

 

[lee sumner]

Chris Clark does this all the time. He did the same thing with Sutcliffe and Halliwell, accusing them of dozens of murders, including ones where the forensics clearly point to others.

The police took 5,000 sets of fingerprints from POIs in the Sandra Court case. They have prints from the letter, Sandra's cheque book, and possibly also her body.

The fingerprints obviously don't match those of Wright or Cannan, although at least Cannan can be placed in the area that day via a parking ticket the police found.

i heard JC was ruled out.