‘It was completely unprovoked, they didn’t look her in the eye’
THE family of a teenage Girl Scout fatally stabbed in an east London park have made a desperate appeal for witnesses, as police confirmed the attack was entirely random and unprovoked.
Jodie Chesney, 17, was killed as she sat listening to music and chatting with her boyfriend and a group of friends near a children’s playground in a park in Harold Hill, Romford, on Friday evening.
The Metropolitan Police said the teenagers had been aware of two men in the park who left at around 9pm without interacting with them.
The force added in a statement: “Around 30 minutes later the pair returned to the park and walked straight towards the group, where one of the males stabbed Jodie once in the back. Nothing was said by the two suspects, who ran off in the direction of Retford Road.
“The suspect who attacked Jodie is described as a black male aged in his late teens. There is no further description of him at this stage, nor is there any description of the other male.” Lucy Elkin, 18, a friend, told The
Daily Telegraph: “It was completely unprovoked, they didn’t even look her in the eye.”
She added: “She was the child every parent dreamed of having. It shouldn’t happen to people like her.”
Dave Chesney, Jodie’s uncle, 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.”
Mr Chesney is the older brother of Jodie’s father Peter, who was celebrating his birthday on the day the teen was killed. He added: “We value your support and prayers at this time, especially for our brother Pete, his wife Jo and Jodie’s sister Lucy.”
Jodie’s mother visited the scene to lay flowers yesterday and was comforted by friends.
A card left on behalf of Jodie’s boyfriend, Eddie Coyle, who called for help and stroked her hair as she lay dying, was attached to nearby railings. It said: “Jodie, you are the best thing that could have happened in my life. I will love you always and you will forever be in my heart, beautiful. Eddie-bear.”
A group of friends from Barking & Dagenham Scouts also stopped at the park, and left a scout neckerchief at the base of the tree.
In a statement, the troop said of Jodie: “During her time in scouting she blossomed into an amazing young woman.
“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.”