Do you know him?
Police issue photo of man who could be ‘key’ to Julia killing
POLICE hunting the killer of PCSO Julia James released a near-crystal- clear image yesterday of a mystery man they believe is of “crucial importance” to their inquiry.
They are “desperately” trying to identify the man with dark curly hair, wearing a black hoodie and carrying a blue sports bag.
Senior officers say his photograph was taken the day after Julia, 53, was battered to death in the same part of the Kent countryside.
Yesterday’s development is the biggest yet in the search for Julia’s killer, who murdered her as she walked her Jack Russell Toby.
Tom Richards, Assistant Chief Constable of Kent and Essex’s Serious Crime Directorate, said the man could be “key to unlocking what happened to Julia”.
The senior investigator added: “I’m not saying here and now that he is a suspect, but he is of crucial importance to the investigation.
“We are of course interested in many individuals but this individual is a big frustration to the investigation. We don’t know who they are, and we desperately need a name so we can identify them.
“Anybody who knows who that man is, we desperately need you to make contact with us and identify who that man is. If this person is watching, please contact us, you have crucial information.”
Mr Richards, who did not say who took the photo, said: “It’s unusual to have such a high-quality image to work with.
“I am very confident that someone will be able to identify that individual if they work with them, if they know them, if they encounter them when they go shopping for example.” Julia’s daughter Bethan Coles, 28, who is a Kent police officer, urged anyone who knows the man to come forward. She wrote on Facebook: “SHARE SHARE SHARE. Who is this man? Do you know him? Have you seen him? Please contact Kent Police.” Her husband, Chase Coles, added in a separate post: “PLEASE SHARE.” Julia, a married motherof-two, was killed 11 days ago on April 27 as she walked her dog near her home in Snowdon, near Aylesham.
The Canterbury-based domestic violence specialist died from head injuries, and her body was found by members of the public, with her pet unharmed by her side. Detectives do not have a suspect or motive but have gathered more than 1,000 pieces of information. They also released a photo of Julia wearing the same blue coat, blue jeans and brown boots she wore on the day she died.
Yesterday, her husband Paul James, 57, changed his social media profile picture to a snap of them together.
He also used the “Help us find #justiceforjulia” page to pay tribute to his wife, saying: “I miss you so much Luvly xxx”
Chase said more than 8,600 people had changed their profile picture to include the family’s appeal, and the #justiceforjulia hashtag has been shared more than 5,000 times.
He wrote on Facebook: “Huge thank you to Crimestoppers who are offering a 10k reward for anyone with crucial information. Please, we have to keep sharing all we can!
“Someone knows something! Julia was taken from us in such a barbaric way. No family should have to endure this.”
●● Call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 or police on 0800 0514526 or submit video footage online.