Killing of Kate Bushell

On the evening of Saturday 15 November 1997, 14-year-old Kate Bushell was found murdered in Exwick, a suburb on the western edge of Exeter, Devon. Bushell had set out at 4:30 p.m. to walk her neighbours' dog, Gemma, up Exwick Lane, a narrow rural lane commonly used by dog walkers. When she failed to return, her parents searched the area and, at 7:30 p.m., her father found her lying dead next to the dog, her throat cut, around 300 yards from her home.

Several witnesses reported suspicious figures in the vicinity around the time of the murder: a vagrant who had been seen sleeping rough in the area for months and had startled a local resident just three days before the killing; a man standing beside a small blue van or car parked on Exwick Lane only 100 yards from the murder scene, seen by witnesses driving past minutes before Bushell was last seen alive; and a man seen running from the direction of the lane about half an hour after her body was found. None of these individuals ever came forward to police, and the lead detective, Mike Stephens, later said this suggested they had "something to hide."

The case attracted intense national media attention and was featured on Crimewatch in January 1998 and again in September 1998 as part of a "Still Unsolved" segment. Investigators found man-made dens near the murder site, a black bin-liner with unidentified fingerprints, and bright orange fibres at the scene. Detectives said they were "90% certain" the killer was a local man or someone with local knowledge, likely right-handed, possibly the owner of a blue vehicle, and possibly experienced in slaughtering animals such as sheep. A psychological profile suggested the offender was aged 18 to 35, may have had previous convictions including sexual offences, and may have shown cruelty to animals.

A 2014 forensic review revealed that the orange fibre evidence had been contaminated in 1999 during laboratory examination, raising concerns about future prosecution, though police maintained some evidence remained unaffected. Over the years, speculative links were investigated between Bushell's murder and other known killers, including Philip Smith and David Burgess, but no connections were established. The murder was also considered in relation to the unsolved killing of Julia Webb in Cheshire in 1998, but a link was ruled out.

The investigation remains Devon and Cornwall Police's largest and most high-profile murder inquiry, having cost more than £1m by 2018. A renewed public appeal was launched on 14 November 2022, accompanied by a £20,000 reward from Crimestoppers, in addition to an existing £10,000 reward, for information leading to the killer's identification and conviction. As of 2025, the case remains unsolved.