JODIE Was murder a gangland ‘initiation’?
JODIE UNCLE’S TOUCHING TRIBUTE
JODIE Chesney could have been the random victim of a gang initiation attack.
The 17-year-old was playing music with five pals when a stranger plunged a knife into her back.
Her uncle Dave told ITV News: “We are all devastated. This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her.’’
The attacker and a pal fled without speaking. Jodie’s boyfriend – named locally as 18-yearold Eddie Coyle – cradled her as she died. Last night police said her friends had noticed the two suspects leaving the children’s play area in Harold Hill, Romford, east London, half-anhour before the murder at 9.25pm on Friday.
They returned, walked straight up to Jodie and killed her with a single knife blow.
Detectives said there had been no interaction between the pair and Jodie’s group.
A source close to the investigation said: “The inquiry is in its infancy but it appears to be an unprovoked random attack on a stranger which is an extremely rare occurrence.
“One line of inquiry is that it was some kind of gang initiation – a test of bottle for someone trying to join a mob.’’
Last night Jodie’s grandma Debbie wrote on Facebook: “How have we come to this point where kids can’t have a walk in a park without suffering an unprovoked attack?
“If anyone knows anything about this please contact the police with information.”
District explorer scout leader Anna Skipworth said girl scout Jodie was “an amazing young woman”.
She added: “She always had a smile on her face, supporting the younger members where she could. She was funny, intelligent and a joy to work with.”