The killing of former Colchester schoolgirl Rachel Nickell could be linked to a second, more recent, murder.

Detectives probing the death of American artist Margaret Muller, stabbed in East London in February, have not ruled out the same person being responsible for both crimes.

Det Chief Supt Jon Shatford, who is leading the Metropolitan Police hunt for Miss Muller's killer, confirmed they were examining the possibility of a link.

He said: "It would be remiss of us not to consider whether the person who killed Miss Nickell has moved to East London.

"This is one of many lines of inquiry we are conducting to clear the ground underneath our feet to enable us to move forward."

Miss Nickell, 23, who grew up in Great Totham, was stabbed to death on Wimbledon Common in 1992, leaving her young son clinging to her body.

At the time, one senior police officer described it as "the worst murder I've ever seen".

Colin Stagg was later charged with killing the former Colchester County High School for Girls and Colchester Institute student.

But his Old Bailey trial collapsed in 1994 after a judge ruled that prosecution evidence against him was inadmissible.

Miss Nickell's death is now being reviewed with up-to-date forensic technology to try to move the investigation forward.

Published Thursday, June 19, 2003

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