Police vow to catch mother-of-two’s killer on 40th anniversary of sex murder | UK news

Police have vowed to catch the killer of a mother of two who was murdered in a sexually motivated attack 40 years ago.

Shelley Morgan, 33, was stabbed to death in a frenzied attack after dropping her children off at school Bristol on June 11, 1984.

The mother of two was on her way to Leigh Woods near Ashton Court, where she planned to spend the day sketching and taking photographs.

However, she never got there and when she failed to pick up her children from school or return to her home in Bedminster, the police were alerted.

Four months later, on October 14, children playing in a grove of trees in Backwell Hill accidentally stumbled upon her remains.

An autopsy revealed that the married woman, Morgan, had suffered numerous stab wounds and that there were indications that the attack was sexually motivated.

police launched a murder investigation, but although the case was reviewed several times, the murderer was never found.

The killer is believed to have been familiar with the Leigh Woods and Backwell areas, and police say she may have been connected to both areas, either professionally or in some other way.

In the hope of finally solving the unsolved case, officials are again asking for information related to the murder.

Detective Inspector Dave Marchant said: “We will never give up on identifying the person responsible for Shelley’s murder and for leaving her two young children without their mother.”

“Forty years may have passed, but our resolve has not wavered and we remain determined to give her family answers and, if her killer is still alive, bring him to justice.”

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Police said it was not known whether Ms Morgan ever made it to Leigh Woods and that authorities had not found her clothing or her camera – a 35mm Olympus OM20.

They appealed to anyone who owns such a camera from the 1980s with the serial number 1032853 to contact the police as this could help the investigation.

At the time, Mrs Morgan wore “a scarlet top, white skirt and maroon tights, and large red round glasses” and carried a homemade patchwork bag.

Five years ago, Ms Morgan’s sister Hollie Brian said: “Shelley’s death had a profound impact on our family and her loss has been felt ever since.”

“I have come to the conclusion that a person is not really dead until the people who love him and think of him have also died.

“As long as we carry Shelley in our hearts she will always be with us, but we are all getting older and the time will come when all these doors will close.

“We ask you to come to the police if you know anything about what happened on that day in June 1984.”

“Perhaps you were afraid to talk about it back then. Perhaps your situation has changed.

“Out of love and respect for my sister, we really want to know what happened and make sure the person who killed her never hurts anyone again.”