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14/09/2012
Police Describe Burning Car Murder As 'Brutal And Tragic'
Somerset police have described the murder of a 23-year-old woman found in a burning car as "brutal and tragic".
Catherine Wells-Burr was found in her red Ford Focus in a field in Ashill, near Ilminster, at about 06:30am on Wednesday.
One line of inquiry is that it may not have been a random attack and that she knew her killer.
Det Ch Insp Simon Crisp said it was not yet known if Miss Wells-Burr was alive when the car was set on fire.
Her body was found after fire fighters were called to tackle a burning car.
"This is a tragic and brutal incident in which a young woman has needlessly lost her life,” Det Ch Insp Crisp
"I would like to appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to get in touch with us, no matter how small you think that piece of information may be.
"In particular I'd like to speak to any motorists who were in the area around the time who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously or anyone crossing the A358.
"It is also very important that we speak to all of Catherine's friends and associates who she may have socialised with, as well as anyone else who may have any knowledge about her social and private life.
"Did she know her killer? Did she arrange to meet somebody at the location where she met her death? These are the things we are seriously considering.
"I can assure you we will find those responsible and bring them to justice."
Update:
A 32-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and currently remains in police custody. Two men who were also arrested have been eliminated from the inquiry, Avon and Somerset police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Crisp said: "A postmortem will begin on Friday to try and identify how Catherine died. We still need information from members of the public and those people who knew Catherine or knew of her.
"It is imperative we get a full picture of her life and you may have information that could help."
(H)
Catherine Wells-Burr was found in her red Ford Focus in a field in Ashill, near Ilminster, at about 06:30am on Wednesday.
One line of inquiry is that it may not have been a random attack and that she knew her killer.
Det Ch Insp Simon Crisp said it was not yet known if Miss Wells-Burr was alive when the car was set on fire.
Her body was found after fire fighters were called to tackle a burning car.
"This is a tragic and brutal incident in which a young woman has needlessly lost her life,” Det Ch Insp Crisp
"I would like to appeal to anyone with any information about this incident to get in touch with us, no matter how small you think that piece of information may be.
"In particular I'd like to speak to any motorists who were in the area around the time who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously or anyone crossing the A358.
"It is also very important that we speak to all of Catherine's friends and associates who she may have socialised with, as well as anyone else who may have any knowledge about her social and private life.
"Did she know her killer? Did she arrange to meet somebody at the location where she met her death? These are the things we are seriously considering.
"I can assure you we will find those responsible and bring them to justice."
Update:
A 32-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder and currently remains in police custody. Two men who were also arrested have been eliminated from the inquiry, Avon and Somerset police said.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Crisp said: "A postmortem will begin on Friday to try and identify how Catherine died. We still need information from members of the public and those people who knew Catherine or knew of her.
"It is imperative we get a full picture of her life and you may have information that could help."
(H)
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Three Jailed For Life For Catherine Wells-Burr Murder
Three Polish nationals have been jailed for life for the murder of Catherine Wells-Burr, in a plot to collect on a six-figure life insurance policy. 31-year-old Rafal Nowak smothered Ms Wells-Burr in her sleep at the home they shared in Chard, Somerset, in September last year. He was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 32 years.
Three Jailed For Life For Catherine Wells-Burr Murder
Three Polish nationals have been jailed for life for the murder of Catherine Wells-Burr, in a plot to collect on a six-figure life insurance policy. 31-year-old Rafal Nowak smothered Ms Wells-Burr in her sleep at the home they shared in Chard, Somerset, in September last year. He was sentenced to life, with a minimum of 32 years.
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