Who was sex worker Janine Downes and what do we know about her brutal murder?

Scottish Sun

5 days ago

The 22-year-old mother-of-three was found in a hedge after being sexually assaulted
KILLER HUNT Who was sex worker Janine Downes and what do we know about her brutal murder?
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A NEW Channel 4 documentary series investigates the brutal death of a 22-year-old sex worker more than 30 years ago who may have been caught up in a criminal drug ring.
In the Footsteps of Killers delves into the case of Janine Downes, a mother-of-three, who was murdered in Wolverhampton on February 2, 1991.
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Despite a continuous and full police investigation, no one has ever been arrested or convicted of Janine's murder
Credit: Alamy
Who was Janine Downes?
Janine had been working in the red-light district of the city and was last seen climbing into a distinctive blue car before her naked and beaten body was discovered in a hedge on the A464 near Hatton, just outside of Shifnal.
She was found wearing only a paisley patterned blouse, a bra and blue ankle socks and had been strangled and sexually assaulted.
Despite a continuous and full police investigation, no one has ever been arrested or convicted of her murder.
Emilia Fox, criminologist David Wilson and former senior detective Dr Graham Hill take up the cold case for Channel 4 and interview key witnesses, looking for clues in Wolverhampton's red-light district.
Lines of inquiry centre around the possibility Janine was the victim of a potential serial killer and linked to a local criminal drug and sex ring.
Their inquiries initially lead them to the man dubbed the Midlands Ripper, who was convicted of two other women's murders, but there is nothing that links him to Janine's brutal death due to a lack of CSI-style evidence.
Instead, they suspect Janine's murder could be connected to local pimps after discovering they were involved with drug-dealing gangs in the city.
Janine's murder remains under investigation by West Mercia Police.
On the 30th anniversary of her death, Detective Inspector Lee Holehouse appealed for anyone with information about her death to come forward.
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At the time, DI Holehouse, from West Mercia Police's Major Investigation Unit, said: 'Now is the 30th anniversary of Janine's death.
'To date, despite a continuous and full investigation and several arrests being made, nobody has been charged with her murder and I desperately want to change that.
'We the police are still unclear as to what happened to Janine in the hours and days before her death. We are unclear as to whether it's likely that Janine was killed by a stranger or someone known to her.
'We do know that Janine was a sex worker working in the Wolverhampton area at around the time of her death and would appeal to anybody who was within this circle at the time or even now and may who have information to contact us.
'Moreover, I appeal to anybody with any information which may lead to the identity of Janine's killer to get in touch in order that we can get the justice that Janine and her family deserve.
'Somebody somewhere knows what happened. Janine's family have lived without closure for far too long. If you know what happened or have any information which may help, please help us.'
To report information about Janine's death visit the Tell Us About Section of the West Mercia Police website www.westmercia.police.uk
Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via the Crimestoppers website.
How to watch In the Footsteps of Killers - Series 3: Episode 6
The Murder of Janine Downes is on Channel 4 at 10pm on July 22.