Body of Jessie Earl could be exhumed to find links to Peter Tobin

Jessie Earl was 22 when she went missing from her flat in Upperton Gardens, Eastbourne, in May 1980.

The art student’s naked body was not found until March 1989, in dense undergrowth on the heath at Beachy Head.

Ms Earl’s bra was found alongside her skeletal remains and her family believes it was used to tie her wrists together.

Now, her family are willing to have her body exhumed so a sample can be taken from her bone marrow if the DNA search finds any possible matches.

At a second inquest into their daughter's death, Jessie’s parents Valerie and John, now both in their 90s, said: “The main evidential topic brought forward by the family is unlawful killing.

“This is something which has considerable force behind it and something I am agreeable to in terms of scope.”

A post mortem examination in 1989 found the cause of death to be unascertainable and an inquest held four months later recorded an open verdict.

In 2000, following a second police investigation dubbed Operation Silk, Sussex Police concluded that Ms Earl was murdered.

Jessie Earl

The High Court ordered a new inquest after the original 1989 Sussex Police investigation was ruled insufficient.

Chris Williams, representing the family, said: “Some serial killers retain trophies and this is to see if any of her DNA shows up on any other trophies.

“It would be useful if it could identify the identity of a potential killer in this case.”

"The family asked for a complete audit trail of all the exhibits recovered in 1989.

“Sussex Police said they were all disposed of.

“With that in mind, we ask for an audit trail to see, in particular, if we can recover Jessie’s bra.

“If the killer used that bra, it is likely to yield DNA from the killer.

“DNA on the bra other than that of Jessie and would lead to suspicion a person was responsible for her death.

“Police databases could identify the person who touched that bra.”

Tobin is serving a whole life sentence in Edinburgh for the murders of three other women.

Joanne Kane, for Sussex Police, said: “A new family DNA profile has been taken already.

“It has been loaded onto the missing person database and forensic scientist are comparing samples to any crime scene data.”

Speaking after the hearing, Jessie’s brother James Earl, 66, said the family are aware of the link to Tobin.

“The evidence might find that way although there are other possibilities.

“The police seem quite sure that it’s not him.

“I’m maintaining an open mind.

“In some ways, I hope it’s not him because the way he dispatched his victims was pretty unpleasant.

“I wouldn’t want my parents to have to go through that.”

Mr Earl said the family want the original inquest verdict overturned.

“The open verdict is unfair on my sister.

“It’s unfair on my sister it wasn’t recorded as an unlawful killing.

“That’s clearly what it was and I think they are going to come to the right conclusion now even though it’s 33 year later.

“That’s all my parents are really looking for. If there is an exhumation, there is a good side to that in that we will know exactly what happened but there is a bad side in that in might cause more suffering for my parents.

“The thing they feel most sorely is it was recorded in a way which cast doubt on Jessie’s character,” he said.