When Obsession Turns Deadly

Who was Heather?

Heather Jordan was raised in Dorchester, England, but relocated to Taunton with her mother and brother in late 2017.

She was a quiet and shy person who had a history of mental illness and suffered from periods of depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

At home, Heather found refuge and joy in the simple things. A true "home bird" at heart, she liked to read, play cards, watch scary movies, and find solace in the intricate art of needlework. She was close to her family, and she found companionship with her six pet cats.

She was a diligent worker and maintained multiple cleaning positions, including ones at the chain drugstore, Boots, and the Co-op supermarket.

Friendship turns to obsession 

At Boots, 34-year-old Heather first encountered 52-year-old Martin Corns while they were both employed as cleaners.

At first, Heather and Martin had a close bond. They would grab coffee, go on day trips, and even walk to work together. However, their relationship remained strictly platonic, much to Martin's chagrin.

Heather initially viewed their non-sexual relationship as a 'committed friendship.' Still, when Martin started sending her gifts, writing her love letters, and sending hundreds of texts daily, Heather quickly became aware of his unsettling and obsessive behaviour.

Then, like textbook, the stalking started. On several occasions, Martin stood outside Heather's home for up to an hour and asked her to come outside to prove that she was home.

Heather would later confide in a friend that Martin had become obsessive and was following her around the workplace, making inappropriate comments about her breasts and bum.

Obsession turns to jealousy 

Things took a turn for the worse when Martin believed Heather had entered into a relationship with Kevin, a supervisor at the Boots store. Martin absolutely lost it and somehow managed to force Heather to follow a rigid schedule in which she had to set aside a specific amount of time every day to spend with him.

Surprisingly, she agreed to this arrangement and even expressed regret if she didn't spend enough time with him. She also denied seeing anyone else in the letters and emails she sent regularly to Martin.

While their relationship was certainly odd, Martin's possessiveness and severe jealousy soon became tiresome to Heather, as did his constant concern about whether she was genuinely dedicated to their friendship. After all, they had only met each other mere weeks ago!

On Valentine's Day, a few days before her murder, Martin left a note, a teddy bear, and a dozen red roses at Heather's Taunton front door. He wrote that she had taken him in 'hook, line, and sinker'.

During the trial, Jennifer Rigby informed the jury that her daughter Heather had expressed her displeasure with receiving the roses from him on Valentine's Day and that she intended to file a harassment complaint against Martin Corns with Boots supervisors on Monday, February 19, the day after she was murdered.

The court would hear that two days before her death, she broke off the relationship with Martin because she could not handle his manipulation, jealousy, and baseless accusations. She stated she was not ready to take the relationship "to the next level."

She even messaged Martin Corns to "back off and leave me alone," the court heard, adding, "I have no one else. There's only so much that I can say."

A heartless murder

Around five in the morning on Sunday, February 18, 2018, Heather was making her usual five-minute walk to her cleaning job at the local Co-op.

As Heather cut through Lyngford Park, Martin confronted her and attempted to win her back with another love letter. Heather tore up his note and begged him to leave her alone. Martin Corns then subdued her and strangled her to death.

After committing murder, he returned home and settled down to watch some television. Later that day, dogwalkers discovered Heather's lifeless body.

Martin Corns had attempted to make it appear as though Heather Jordan had been the victim of a botched robbery after killing her. However, when police searched the park, they discovered the torn-up note from Martin to Heather that said,

"I can't wait to spend my life with you. Hopefully, that won't be too long, my darling. Remember, I love you so, so much and always will."

Martin was quickly caught and arrested. He was found guilty of murder on September 11, 2018, and ordered to spend a minimum of 17 years in prison before being considered for parole.

Those who knew Heather are left with a hole in their hearts due to her murder.

"I notice the quietness of the house without her. I wake up at 5 am expecting to hear her going out to work but the door doesn't open or close. It has caused me to become depressed and take time off work. I used to travel to and from work with her on the bus and now I have to go on my own." - Jennifer Rigby, on what life is like after the murder of her daughter.

Heather's story serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked obsession and the tragic consequences it can have. May her story serve as a reminder to always speak up and seek help if faced with similar situations, as well as encourage us to take action against all forms of harassment.