Colchester and Essex's unsolved murders cases, from 1958 to today

Across Essex, there are 27 murder cases which, since 2000, remain unsolved – and although developments in technology and new lines of enquiry mean there is still hope they’re solved, the chances remain relatively slim.

Going back long before the turn of the millennium, there are still dozens of other cases which have never been solved, and with every passing year it seems their resolution grows less and less likely.

Mary Kriek

One such case, the murder of 19-year-old Dutch au pair Mary Kriek, goes back January 1958 when the teenager was killed when getting off a bus in Eight Ash Green on a Monday evening.

She had been beaten over the head 17 times by someone using a blunt object which was never found.

Whether she had been murdered where she was actually found is one of the many unanswered questions surrounding the case.

The press attention was both intense and sustained – so much so, in fact, that a friend of Miss Kriek, a gentleman called Roger St Clair Fearon, wrote a letter to The Times one week later claiming a journalist threatened to concoct a story if they didn’t receive a nugget of information.

Unsolved – Mary Kriek had been working as an au pair near Colchester when she arrived to the UK from the Netherlands in the 1950s (Image: Police)

“[The journalist] did this two days later,” Mr St Clair Fearon said, and the Press Council – an independent press regulator – went on to conduct an investigation.

As for the murder investigation, there were attempts to pin down a suspect – Miss Kriek’s blood-stained clothing was sent to the Metropolitan Police for analysis, as was a facsimile of her handbag.

The river Stour was also searched for the weapon, but with no success.

Miss Kriek’s gravestone is in Colchester cemetery, but exactly who was responsible for her death was never found.

Kay O’Connor

March will mark 50 years since the murder of Kay O’Connor, a shorthand typist who was beaten, stabbed, and strangled at her home in Wickham Road, Colchester.

Police’s efforts to piece together the moments leading up top the 37-year-old’s death were extensive – more than 2,000 statements were taken in connection with her murder, and 339 people were questioned, but nobody was ever charged.

In fact, nobody was even seen entering or leaving Mrs O’Connor’s address, though the attacker did leave behind a kitchen knife next to their victim.

Such cases can be reopened; in 2004, Essex Police received a phone call from a member of the public who said they had information about the killing, and exhibits which were found at the scene were re-examined.

A spokesman for Essex Police said at the time they were doing all they could to shed light on the case once again.

He said: “A new lead has come to light after all these years which we are currently looking into.

“Changes in technology mean there are further forensic tests we can do today which were not possible at the time and we will be conducting these.”

A former ward sister who worked with one of the police’s chief suspects, nurse Patrick Marran, at the time of the murder, told the Gazette in 2018 that Marran had confessed to Kay O’Connor’s murder.

Tragic – Kay O'Connor was murdered in 1974 at her address in Wickham Road, Colchester (Image: Police)

She said: “I was sitting in my office and all of a sudden Mr Marran came in and sat down next to me at the desk.

“I can remember it so clearly, he was just to my left.

“I knew from the gossip in work he had been with the police because they suspected him of killing the woman.

“He looked gaunt and run down and we all knew he was a suspect.

“Thinking about it now, I don’t know how he managed to find me in the office on my own as the office was always bustling with people but he must have peeped in before to make sure I was on my own.

“He sat down. He leaned into me and started to cry and I noticed how awful he looked. He said to me: ‘Have you heard that the police have arrested me? They think I had something to do with that woman who was murdered’.

“I said, ‘Yes, I have’, and I looked back at him and he just said to me: ‘It was me who did that’.”

By the time the former ward sister came forward to say Marran had confessed to her about the murder, the suspect had long since died.

At the time, Essex Police said there were no further lines of inquiry to pursue.

Linda Smith

At the age of 12, Linda Smith of Earls Colne is one of the youngest murder victims whose killer has never been found.

She had been sent to her local newsagents in Earls Colne, Essex on Monday in January 1961, but never made it inside the shop.

She then went missing for four days, and on Friday, she was found in Polstead, Suffolk, after being strangled to death.

An inquest later found that there was a red substance, believed to be paint, and traces of flour on Linda’s body.

No murder case remains closed, police say, but Det Supt Andy Smith – one of Suffolk Police’s leading investigators – admitted in 2021 the chances of bringing Linda’s killer to justice, if he is even still alive, are highly unlikely.

Missing – Linda Smith had not been seen for four days after had run an errand in Earls Colne (Image: Police)

He said: “The chances of being able to bring Linda's killer to justice after all this time are extremely remote.

“Regrettably, these reviews and successive appeals for information have not provided us with the new evidence we need," added Det Supt Smith, head of the Join Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigations Team.

“Inevitably, the time which has passed since has presented tremendous obstacles to investigate and progress this case further.”

If anyone does have any information on the case, they can contact the Norfolk and Suffolk Unsolved Case Team on 01953 423819 or by emailing unsolvedcasereviews@norfolk.pnn.police.uk.

Diane Jones

The only suspect named in the case involving Diane Jones, who was pregnant at the time of her murder in 1983, was her husband Dr Robert Jones.

Earlier this year, Dr Jones – who was never charged with murder – died in France aged 80.

Diane, who was 35 when she was murdered, was last seen alive with her husband Dr Robert Jones when they left their local pub, The Woolpack in Coggeshall, following a public row.

In October that year, her body was found on the A1093 at Martlesham, Suffolk, in a severely decomposed state.

Feud – Diane Jones had been in a pub in Coggeshall where she had an argument with her husband Robert Jones, who was identified as a suspect but never charged (Image: Police)

Mel Barrett, the landlady of the Woolpack at the time of the incident, later told the Daily Mail many believed Dr Jones had murdered his wife following their row in the pub that evening.

She said: “I know one man who got quite friendly with the cops.

“After the investigation was closed, this officer told him, ‘We know he has done it. We just haven't got the evidence to charge him.’

Dr Jones died in June of this year.

What do police say?

A spokesman for Essex Police said: “We remain committed to solving unsolved cases and bringing those responsible to justice.

“We periodically review unsolved cases, which includes looking at original information and any fresh lines of enquiry, and making use of any advances in technology.

“We are constantly looking to utilise advances in forensic science here and abroad to progress those relatively few cases of murder that remain unresolved.

“We also recognise the importance of keeping cases in the public eye to take advantage of changed loyalties where appropriate, in particular to ensure any witness who may hold a key piece of information but thinks it is unimportant for whatever reason remain aware that the police want to hear any news that can break a case open.

“It’s never too late for people to come forward with information relating to any crime and where that happens we investigate thoroughly to ensure we take all opportunities to bring criminals to justice.

“If you have any information, you can submit a report online at https://www.essex.police.uk or use the ‘Live Chat’ button to speak to an online operator between 7am11pm.

“Alternatively, you can call 101.

“Information can also be given to independent charity Crimestoppers 100 per cent anonymously on 0800 555 111 or https://crimestoppers-uk.org.”