Diane Jones: Police still investigating murder of Essex woman found dead in Suffolk

It's been 40 years since Diane was found dead in Martlesham

Diane Jones was 35 at the time of her disappearance
Author: Matt SoanesPublished 24th Jul 2023

Police in Suffolk say they'll continue to investigate an unsolved murder which involved a missing woman from north Essex for as long as it takes.

They've given an update 40 years on from the death of 35 year old Diane Jones, from Coggeshall, who disappeared in July 1983 after going for a drink at a pub.

Her body was found three months later in a field near the A1093 in Martlesham.

A postmortem found she'd died from a fractured skull, with Suffolk Police and Essex Police later launching a joint murder enquiry.

40 years on, police say they're investigation remains live and they have investigated a potential murder weapon and several leads in France over the past three years.

A man was previously arrested in connection with the investigation but was ultimately released without charge.

The original suspect in the case has now died, which officers say 'limits the scope of the investigation'.

Andy Guy, from Suffolk's Major Crime Review and Unsolved Case Team Manager, said: “We had been making some positive progress in the case of Diane’s murder and were unearthing new information, even after all this time.

“The death of the suspect in this inquiry means it is unlikely we will be able to progress much further now, as we are not currently looking for anyone else in connection with this crime.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to reach the evidential threshold required for a prosecution for murder on two separate occasions.

“This case will remain with our team. Several people have spoken to us recently who had not felt able to do so before, but we would still like to hear from anyone who believes they have information about the incident.”

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