Police Hunting Prostitute Killer Find A Third Body

Detectives investigating the killings of two prostitutes in Ipswich revealed last night that they had found a third victim. The body of another young woman, believed by police to work as a prostitute, was found at 3.20pm in woodland in Nacton, about four miles south-east of Ipswich. A woman walking through the woods discovered the body of the woman, who was believed to be in her late teens or early 20s.

The area was cordoned off last night. A spokesman for Suffolk police would only describe the death as “unexplained”.

However, police sources said that the victim was feared to be the latest victim of a serial killer who is known to have struck twice in recent weeks in the red light area of the Suffolk town.

Last Friday, the naked body of 19-year-old Tania Nicol was found in a stream at Copdock Mill, south of Ipswich. She had last been seen on Oct 31 after she left her mother’s house to catch a bus for a night’s soliciting.

The previous Saturday, the naked body of another prostitute Gemma Adams, 25, was discovered about a mile away in the same stream.

Both women, who knew each other, worked at nights in the red light district of Ipswich close to Portman Road football ground.

Miss Davies had disappeared early on Nov 15 while selling sex in the area.
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Before the discovery of the third body, detectives had admitted for the first time that they believed a serial killer was on the loose.

Police appealed yesterday for former clients of the two women to come forward, promising to protect their identities. Det Chief Insp John Quinton said: “There are striking similarities to the murders of Tania and Gemma. They were acquaintances. They were both working as prostitutes, disappeared from the same area and were found dead in the same stream.

“We are treating the cases as linked and believe the same person or persons might be responsible.” There had been no reports of a third prostitute missing until the discovery of the body yesterday.

Post-mortem examinations have failed to discover how either woman was killed and further tests are to be conducted. There was, however, no evidence of sexual assault.