We for our Still hope truth over girl’s murder
Serial killer Tobin may be too ill to be questioned
The brave parents of a student who vanished 40 years ago have finally won a key battle in their bid to solve the mystery surrounding her death.
Val and John Earl have always been convinced daughter Jessie was murdered.
The 22- year- old’s naked body lay undiscovered in a thicket for almost a decade after she went missing in 1980.
The coroner reported an open verdict but now, in a highly unusual move, the attorney general has given them permission to appeal the verdict, which could pave the way for a fresh inquest.
And Jessie’s family believe she could be a victim of Scottish serial killer Peter Tobin, who is serving a whole life term for the murders of Angelika Kluk, 23, Dinah McNicol, 18, and Vicky Hamilton, 15.
The convicted sex offender was living in Sussex where Jessie was a student at the time she vanished and he is said to have boasted to prison staff that he has dozens more victims.
Tobin, who is ill, could even be brought before a fresh inquest to give evidence. Whatever the outcome, Val, 88, and John, 92, are desperate for a new hearing to take place while they are still alive.
Retired yoga teacher Val said: “We’ve waited 30 years for thiss and we were told it couldn’t be done.e. Before the first inquest, the police said, ‘ You might not gett the verdict you want.’
“I didn’t see how it coulduld be anything other thanhan murder. But the coronerroner delivered an open verdict.dict.
“We were really upset.set. We said, ‘ We’ l l appeal.’ But we were told we couldn’t.””
The couple were inspiredpired to continue their pushush for answers by Markrk Williams-Thomas, thehe crime author andd investigator best knownn for exposing Jimmy Savile as a paedophile in a TV documentary.
Val said: “When Mark came to see us, my first reaction was, ‘I’m not doing any of this again.’
“But he’d done his homework. He put a legal team together who said we shouldd appeal as the decisionn was wrong and should be overturned.
“This week we had a wonderful call to say they’d made the decision. We’re delighted but, given ourou age, we hope things move quickquickly.
“It won’t bring Jessie back but we want it tot be on record that she didn’t die of naturalnatura causes.” JessieJess was found nakednake on Beachy Head,Head a cliff near Eastbourne,East East Suss Sussex.
WhenW a family stumbledstu upon her rema i n s , policepoli thought it was missing ararisistocrat Lord Lucan,Lucan who vanished in 1974 amid claims he had killed nanny
Sandra Rivett. But it turned out to be Jessie, who was identif ied through dental records.
Her watch, ring and most of her clothes were missing. Only her bra was found by her body and was tied in a knot.
A pathologist who examined Jessie’s body believed her hands could have been tied with her bra.
Vile Tobin, born in Johnstone, Renfrewshire, bound the bodies of his victims before hiding them. The 74-yearold could be asked to give evidence at a new inquest and a verdict of unlawful killing could spark a fresh police probe. But as he is seriously ill with cancer, the couple accept he may never face questions.
Val said: “The scenario Mark worked out makes a lot of sense. He thinks she was walking on Beachy Head when this man came up to her. It seems likely it was him. She liked talking to people.
“A new police investigation isn’t a priority for us but it’s just so wrong that there is still a great big question mark over how she died.”
In 1980, Val and John were delighted when Jessie got into art college in Eastbourne as the seaside resort seemed so safe. She called them from a phone box the night before she disappeared.
Val recalled: “She said, ‘ I don’t know why you don’t come to Eastbourne more often. It’s absolutely beautiful.’ She was so happy there.”
That was their last conversation.
Jessie was due to visit them in Eltham, south London, the next day. When she didn’t arrive, Val travelled to Jessie’s student lodgings.
A neighbour let her into her daughter’s room. The window was open, there was an unfinished cup of coffee on the floor and her purse was on the bed. Val said: “It looked like she’d just gone out.”
She called John and they alerted police. He said: “That was a shock. I knew from Val’s voice there was something really wrong. It was like a cold hand coming round my heart.” For the next nine years, the couple never gave up. They printed leaflets and sent them all over the UK. They told themselves Jessie could be suffering from amnesia and even turned to psychics.
Val said: “One of the strangest things we did was stand by a dual carriageway because a clairvoyant said she was coming down the road in a blue van.”
John added: “I didn’t want to admit she was dead but there was no trace.”
The breakthrough came in March 1989 when the couple were about to go to Paris.
Val said: “I heard a body had been found on Beachy Head. I rang police and they said, ‘It’s probably Lord Lucan.’ They told us to go to Paris. Next day, they called but said not to come home as there would be reporters at our door. We walked around Paris in a daze.”
The couple are now too frail to visit her grave but remember her funeral well.
Val said: “As the coffin was being lowered, a fir cone fell on top of it. Everyone looked up and there was a squirrel sitting on the edge of a branch. It was quite magical.
“We all said this was Jessie’s way of saying,‘ I’m OK, you can go ahead.’ I brought the fir cone home. It’s still on the mantelpiece.”