Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Barry Keevins & Jane Hamilton

Peter Tobin's DNA checked in Jessie Earl murder probe in bid to find links to him

Detectives probing the murder of a young art student checked the DNA of serial killer Peter Tobin in a bid to find links to him.

Jessie Earl disappeared in 1980 after leaving her bedsit in Eastbourne, Sussex.

The 22-year-old’s body was found nine years later in undergrowth at nearby Beachy Head.

A new inquest, which opened this week, heard DNA from Jessie’s parents had been used to check against samples from Tobin, who is serving three life sentences for murdering young women.

Serial killer Peter Tobin (PA)

A 1989 inquest into her death recorded an open verdict but John and Valerie Earl spent years trying to overturn its finding.

Their daughter’s death was declared a murder by Sussex Police in 2000, and John and Valerie have voiced fears Tobin, who was living in Eastbourne when she was killed, was responsible.

Emma Heater, the former head of Surrey and Sussex major crime team, said yesterday that Earl
family DNA has been checked against samples from Tobin.

She added that the police probe had been inadequate but said “there was no cover up or anything like that”.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond - Sign up to our daily newsletter here .

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.