Detectives continue to investigate the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney
Detectives continue to investigate the fatal stabbing of 17-year-old Jodie Chesney in Romford, and are urging witnesses or anyone with information to contact police.
Police were called by the London Ambulance Service at 21:25hrs on Friday, 1 March, to reports of a stabbing in a park close to St Neot’s Road in Harold Hill. Officers attended and found Jodie suffering from a stab injury. She was pronounced dead at 22:26hrs.
Her next of kin have been informed. A post-mortem examination on Sunday, 3 March, at East Ham mortuary gave cause of death as trauma and haemorrhage.
A murder investigation has been launched by detectives from the Homicide and Major Crime Command (HMCC).
Initial enquiries have established that Jodie was with a group of five other teenagers playing music and socialising in the park on Friday evening.
Jodie’s group were aware of two males in the park who left at around 2100hrs without interacting with Jodie or her friends. Around 30 minutes later the pair returned to the park and walked straight towards the group, where one of the males stabbed Jodie once in the back.
Nothing was said by the two suspects, who ran off in the direction of Retford Road.
The suspect who attacked Jodie is described as a black male aged in his late teens. There is no further description of him at this stage, nor is there any description of the other male.
The detective leading the investigation, DCI Dave Whellams, said: “I am appealing for any witnesses who have yet to speak with police to call me. There has been excellent support from the local community and a number of people have shared information with police, but there will be other witnesses and people with information that may prove crucial.
“Although the description of the suspect is limited, I am certain that people will have seen the two males hanging around the park or running away from the scene – or will otherwise have noticed something suspicious. I need those people to call me.”
At this early stage, there have been no arrests and enquiries continue.
Anyone with information should call the HMCC Incident Room on 020 8345 3775, Tweet @MetCC or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Source: (MET Police)