The girl aged six hacked to death with her mother
HUNT FOR MAN WITH SPIDER TATTOO
A TATTOOED murder suspect was being hunted in the historic grounds of Oxford University yesterday after his six- year- old sister, his mother and her partner were hacked to death.
Armed police shut down 70 acres of picturesque parkland as they searched for knife- obsessed Jed Allen, 21.
The former college groundsman has an intimate knowledge of the parkland, used by cricket and rugby teams as well as rowing squads.
Detectives named him as a suspect after the mutilated bodies of the girl and the couple were found at a house on Saturday night.
The victims were named as Philip Howard, 44, Jan Jordon, 48, and her daughter Derin.
Police said Allen is related to them but it later became clear he is Ms Jordon’s son.
Anyone who spots Allen is urged not to approach him but to dial 999 immediately.
The stocky six- footer, who often wears a baseball cap, has several tattoos including one of a large, black spider on his left hand.
Detective Superintendent Chris Ward, from Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Unit, said: “It is very important that we locate him as quickly as we can.”
Police closed the 70- acre University Parks, south of the city centre on the banks of the Thames, or Isis as it is called in Oxford.
Traumatic
Marksmen along with a squad of 20 officers with dogs and riot shields moved through the parks yesterday afternoon. Part of the search centred on a pavilion.
The police appeared to be focusing on the north- east of the parks close to where the River Cherwell flows into the Thames. Police warned passing tourists that the parks would be shut all day.
“There are a large number of officers who have been deployed to find the suspect,” said Mr Ward.
Armed police were drafted in for the safety of the searching officers and there was no suggestion Allen had a gun, he added.
The alert for Allen was issued after police found the bodies of the victims in a house in a quiet street in Didcot, 13 miles south of Oxford, at about 8.20pm on Saturday.
Officers went to the property after a call from a neighbour, police said.
Post mortem examinations are due to be carried out today but Mr Ward said: “The likely cause of each of their deaths is stab wounds.”
Allen appears to have a fascination with knives. He posted several photographs of himself on social media wielding various vicious- looking knives and an axe.
He also posed as the comic superhero Wolverine holding three clawlike blades between the fingers of each hand.
Allen, who has bushy side burns, seems to have modelled himself on the Wolverine character played by Hugh Jackman in the X- Men series of films.
It is understood the couple and Derin moved to the house in Didcot a few months ago.
Before that, they lived for many years in a house just over a mile away, where Allen was regularly seen, according to neighbours. Shei- la Welch, a neighbour in Didcot, said yesterday that the couple and child always looked “happy”. Ms Welch said: “They are new neighbours and had only been here a couple of months.
“I used to see them – a lovely mother and a little girl. They always looked so happy.”
Describing the scene when police turned up on Saturday night, Ms Welch said: “It was about half past eight and there were just sirens and police cars. All I can say is that I am very upset, it is all very traumatic.”
A neighbour at the couple’s former home said: “The little girl was always on her bike with her mum.
“She was really nice, she used to smile and say hello when she saw you in the street.”
Another ex- neighbour told how they moved away suddenly. She said: “One day they were gone. We didn’t see any removal van until the new neighbours moved in.”
Several addresses linked to Allen were visited by police yesterday.
Forensic experts examined the murder scene. The bodies of the three victims were not moved until about 4.30pm.
Toys and flowers were left at the scene. Ms Jordan and Mr Howard had children by previous relationships who were being looked after by specialist, trained officers.
Mr Ward said: “We offer our condolences to the family. This is obviously a tragic and sad event.”
Allen attended the Marlborough School in Woodstock, north of Oxford. He lives in Didcot, according to his Facebook page.