The Unsolved Murder of Jessie Earl
On the 15th of May, 1980, 22-year-old Jessie went missing from her flat in Eastbourne, her body was found nine years later.
Jessie Victoria Earl was born on the 16th of December, 1957 to Val and John Earl. She was a quiet girl that was interested in art and wildlife and would often take long walks alone. Jessie had attended an art college in Wales before returning closer to home to attend a college in Eastbourne.
On Friday the 16th of May 1980, Jessie was due to visit her parent's house but she did not turn up and she did not call them to cancel. This was out of character as she would normally let her parents know if her plans were to change. Her mother tried to call her, but there was no answer. Extremely worried, the next day, her mother got on a train and travelled to Jessie’s flat in Eastbourne. One of Jessie’s neighbours told her mother, Val, that she was not home and had gone home for the weekend. The neighbour said Jessie had not been in her flat since Thursday afternoon.
Inside Jessie’s flat, the window was wide open and a book was open on the floor, as though Jessie had just popped out. Jessie was reported missing to the police, but it took the police two weeks to officially call her a missing person. After extensive searches, sniffer dogs and a helicopter, the search was scaled down. However, Jessie’s parents never stopped searching. They appeared on several TV shows and even used the services of psychics, to try and keep her story in the public eye.
Nine years later, Jessie’s remains were found at Beachy Head in Eastbourne. The remains were discovered by a man who was looking for his child’s kite. When he went into the bush, he found a skull in some undergrowth. The remains were identified by dental records as belonging to Jessie.
The police determined that Jessie had been left naked with her hands tied with her own bra. However, only her bra was found with her body. None of Jessie’s other possessions were found at the scene. It was believed that she was wearing a ring, a watch and she was carrying her asthma inhaler. These were not found in her flat so it is believed that she had these with her when she died. The results of the autopsy were inconclusive, meaning the coroner could not determine how Jessie had died, and so, an open verdict was declared.
The original police investigation received a lot of criticism as her case should have always been treated as murder. At the time, the police said that she probably committed suicide. However, her family always knew that this was not the case. Jessie kept a detailed diary that in no way pointed to suicide. Many believe that the police did not want Eastbourne, which was known as a very safe seaside town, to be tarnished with murder, hence the open verdict.
Jessie’s case was re-opened in 2000, with the realisation that crucial evidence was disposed of in the 90s due to the investigation not being recorded as murder. Jessie’s bra and the soil where she was found had now gone, making a conviction extremely difficult. It was reported that the police did have DNA evidence from Jessie’s bra, which if it had been kept, would probably have resulted in a conviction. In 2001, Jessie’s case was officially recorded as a murder.
In May 2022, 42 years after Jessie went missing, a coroner ruled that Jessie was killed unlawfully stating that she was “probably tied to a tree and possibly sexually assaulted.”
With only circumstantial evidence, a conviction is going to be extremely difficult. However, the police believe that Jessie was a victim of the serial killer Peter Tobin. Tobin was convicted in 2008 of murdering three female victims. His first known murder was in 1991 and his last was in 2006. However, Tobin has been linked to many other murders including Jessie Earl and Louise Kay.
At the time that Jessie disappeared Tobin and his family were living in Eastbourne. He was working in a hotel and reportedly also a church. The papers reported that Jessie had told her mother that whilst she was out walking on Beachy Head she had met a middle middle-aged Scottish man that was married and worked in a church. In 1989, when it became public knowledge that Jessie had been found, Tobin moved his family to Scotland.
Tobin died in prison in 2022, taking his secrets with him. Sussex police have stated that there is no evidence to link Peter Tobin to Jessie. However, former Detective Mark-William Thomas is convinced that Tobin is the killer due to the location and how he often left his victims. He was known to tie them up and in one of his murders, he had tied the girl's hands with her own bra strap.
Jessie’s murder has also been linked to the disappearance of Louise Kay. Louise also went missing in Eastbourne on Friday the 24th of June 1988. It was reported that Louise would often park her car at Beachy Head, the same location where Jessie was found. Louise’s case has also been linked to Peter Tobin.
David Fuller was also questioned in relation to Jessie’s murder. Fuller was convicted in 2001 for the sexual assault and murder of two women from Tunbridge Wells in 1987.
As of October 2022, Jessie’s murder remains unsolved.
Sources and Further Reading
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-45637716
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-59659682
https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/family-who-say-edinburgh-prisoner-23923118
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Armchair Detective
Amateur writer, I mostly write about true crime.
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