AN inquest into the death of a student which has been linked to serial killer Peter Tobin is set to begin on Tuesday.
Sussex art student Jessie Earl went missing from her home in Eastbourne in 1980 and her body was found nine years later near Beachy Head.
As part of the inquest, it is believed the Scottish serial killer who killed three young women, could be called to provide evidence.
The 22-year-old student's parents won the right to a second inquest in December 2021 after a coroner previously ruled an open verdict when her body had first been found.
Sussex Police concluded she was murdered in a cold case review in 2000 in an investigation dubbed Operation Silk.
A pre-inquest hearing was told DNA has already been taken from her parents and police forensic experts are searching databases for a match to any crime scene.
Speaking earlier this year Ms Earl's brother James Earl, 66, said: "The original inquest left the verdict open, but the death of my sister was very clearly a result of being murdered.
"Having the record straight is important... even though nothing may actually otherwise happen.
"A verdict of unlawful killing is what we want. If it's possible to find out who did it in the end that would be good, partly just to protect the public if that person is still alive and not in prison."
Tobin, who is currently serving three live sentences for the murders of Angelika Kluk, Vicky Hamilton and Dinah McNicol, was living in the area when Ms Earl vanished.
However, earlier this year Sussex Police there is no evidence linking any named individuals to the student's murder.
According to STV News, a spokesperson for the force said: "We have no evidence linking any named individual in the murder of Jessie Earl.
“We understand the continuing anguish of Jessie’s family in not knowing what happened to their loved one and our thoughts remain with them.
“We will never close this case until, and unless, some resolution and closure is found for them.”
