Eastbourne: £20,000 reward in Sussex Police unsolved murder case

Jennifer Kiely was stabbed multiple times and her body was set on fire shortly before being discovered in a seafront shelter in Eastbourne.

Now, police are offering a £20,000 reward in an effort to finally solve her murder nearly two decades on from her death.

Margaret Kiely, Jennifer’s mother, said: "I think of her every day. But on her anniversary I can’t stop, I can’t switch off.

“Somebody, somewhere, knows who is responsible. Just please come forward and let us know.”

Jennifer, who was 35 at the time of her death and a mum of three, was found in the early hours of the morning on January 22, 2005 in a shelter on the lower promenade at Holywell on Eastbourne seafront.

The seafront shelter was known to be frequented by the homeless community, police say.

She is said to have spent the last day of her life at an address in Upperton Gardens with friends before having a bath and leaving at around midnight.

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She was last seen at 1am that morning walking in the direction of Holywell. Her body was found by council workers at 5am.

Sussex Police Detective Chief Inspector Simon Dunn said: “This remains an active investigation and Jennifer’s family are desperate for answers, as are we.

"One person we have yet to trace and eliminate from the investigation is a man seen that night walking along the middle of the road at the rear of the Grand Hotel.

"He was described as Eastern European by his accent and appearance. He was about 5 ft 10 or 11 inches and of slim to medium build. His hair was a light blond colour, short but in no particular style. His face was round-ish, and he had dominant cheek and jaw lines.

Jennifer Kiely (Image: Sussex Police)

"He was wearing a dark blue short jacket which had a collar and it was zipped right up to beneath his chin. He also wore a pair of grey jeans and white trainers.

"Jennifer’s family deserve to know what happened to her and who is responsible.”

Further information can also be found on the UK Police Major Incident Public Portal website.

Charity Crimestoppers are offering a £20,000 reward to anyone who provides information which leads to the arrest and conviction of anyone linked to the incident.

To qualify for the reward anyone with information can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or report it online.

The case was also featured on BBC’s Crimewatch which featured an interview with senior investigating officer Emma Heater, who has since retired.