Passage of time has not dimmed need to solve this terrible crime
IN the logs and record books that catalogue crime in Devon and Cornwall, 25 years is a long time. Incidents happen, are investigated, resolved – or not – and the officers involved in the cases move on and turn their attention to more recent and more pressing matters. But for the families who are affected by those crimes, big and small, the impact is long and lasting. And when the crime is murder, as it was 25 years ago this week for the Bushell family of Exwick, Exeter, the wounds never really heal.
That is one reason it is heartening to report today that a new appeal for evidence that could help track down the killers of 14-year-old Kate Bushell
has been launched by Devon and Cornwall Police. Backed up with a £20,000 reward from the independent charity, Crimestoppers, it rekindles hope this case can be solved.
Kate’s father, Jerry, discovered the body of his daughter in a field off Exwick Lane at 7.30pm on November 15, 1997 – around three hours after Kate had left to walk a neighbour’s Jack Russell, Gemma. The crime caused widespread concern in the community and beyond, with fears a random killer was on the loose. For Kate’s family, the pain has never properly gone away, as they worked to rebuild their lives after such a blow.
It is all too easy to imagine that baffling crimes like this, which turn up few solid leads in the first few days of investigation, might be filed away in a dusty police station drawer or buried deep in a police computer metaphorically marked “too hard to solve”. But, as the launch of an appeal for information in this case reveals, police officers never give up hope of catching the criminal responsible for a serious offence. There is always hope that, even after such a significant passage of time, someone who knows something will come forward.
Kate’s brother, Tim Bushell, tells today’s WMN: “Over the past 25 years, thousands of enquiries have been undertaken by the police. They have information that needs clarification, but we are still waiting for the key breakthrough. I would implore anyone who has been unable to do so previously to share any information with the police so that with your help they can apprehend the person responsible and achieve justice for Kate.”
It is a message we sincerely hope will be heeded. While the family have lived through the trauma of losing Kate, so, it is entirely possible, others have also carried the burden of knowing something about the case but never spoken out. Now is the time for them to do just that. Detective Inspector Rob Back said: “Maybe someone had suspicions about someone in their life back then and has been protecting them out of misplaced loyalty. It is now time for those allegiances to change.”
Cases like this are often referred to as “cold.” But the memories of what happened to Kate won’t have gone cold for those who loved her. Solving the mystery and bringing the perpetrator to justice won’t bring her back, but it will bring closure and it could bring justice. That is reason enough for anyone who can help to examine their conscience – and then step forward and speak up.