Schoolgirl Kate Bushell aged 14,set off from her home in Burrator Drive, Exwick, Exeter, UK at 4.30 pm on Saturday 15 November 1997.

When she failed to return, her parents called the police. A search located her body in a field next to Exwick Lane at 7.35 pm the same evening. Kate had been brutally murdered as she walked a neighbour’s dog just 300 yards away from her home. A post mortem showed that her throat had been slashed. Mr Bushell, Kates father, found the body when he searched the field with a police officer. 

DS Mike Stephens, leading the murder inquiry, said: “It was a mindless, ruthless attack, which ripped the girl’s throat.” This was a premeditated attack by a killer who had control of themselves and the victim.” 

A bloodstained man (pic below) was spotted running from the scene just minutes after the brutal murder. Thousands of posters failed to jog people’s memories. A London businessman has offered a £20,000 reward in addition to £5,000 offered by a national newspaper.

At the time, just two days later, Carol Everett also produced the drawing of a person she saw linked to the murder. This is shown right. This was also hand delivered to Heavitree police station shortly after the murder, just in case someone recognised him immediately, on the 17th Nov 1997. Also included was the ‘information’ shown below. Carol also contacted police after another incident she considered linked to this case with more ‘information’ she saw also relating to this case on 23 Oct 98.

‘RELATED’ INCIDENT

On 23 August 2001 another school friend of the late Kate Bushell was stalked and attacked by a pervert just minutes after police made a fresh appeal and reconstruction for anyone to come forward regarding the killing of Kate Bushell on National TV. Gemma Andrews a former classmate at St Thomas High School hid in bushes after being stalked by a man in a jeep type vehicle who late ‘exposed’ himself to her.. Police at Heavitree station Exeter said they were extremely concerned, particularly at the timing of the incident.

This incident happened near to a cemetery. Carol had warned that this may happen again and near to a cemetery or church location. Supt Paul Davis continues his investigations. The Kate Bushell case also appeared on a TV program in the UK called Britain’s 10 most wanted criminals. This program generated a number of new leads.

March 2010

Exeter murder case to be reopened

THE unsolved murder of Exeter schoolgirl Kate Bushell is to be reopened in a massive operation to solve some of Britain’s most notorious killings.

Millions of pounds are to be spent on the review which will see an elite team of detectives and officers attempt to snare the killers wanted for more than 50 brutal murders.

And a city detective who has worked on the Kate Bushell case has welcomed the news with “open arms”.