July 23, 2023, marks 40 years since Essex woman Diane Jones disappeared without a trace. The 35-year-old’s disappearance remains one of the county’s most baffling cold cases. Despite decades of investigation, the truth about what happened that fatal night still eludes the police.
On July 23, 1983, Diane and her husband, a local GP from Coggeshall, enjoyed a drink at the Woolpack Inn in Church Street. Witnesses saw the couple leave the village pub around 11pm, heading back to their farmhouse on Colchester Road near the A120. The husband says he last saw Diane at their front gate after she got out of the car. He then went inside to tend their dog—and Diane was never seen alive again.
After Diane was reported missing nine days later, Essex Police launched an investigation. The grim discovery came on October 22, 1983, when her body was found in a copse near the A1093 in Martlesham, Suffolk—over 30 miles from home. A post-mortem revealed a fractured skull, prompting a joint murder inquiry by Suffolk and Essex police.
A suspect was arrested but released without charge. In the last three years, the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Unsolved Case Team has reviewed evidence, interviewed new witnesses, and pursued leads in France related to a possible murder weapon. The original suspect has since died, which has hampered progress.
Andy Guy, manager of the Major Crime Review and Unsolved Case Team, said: “We’ve made positive progress and uncovered new information, even after all this time. Unfortunately, we couldn’t reach the evidential threshold for prosecution on two occasions. This case remains open with us.”
Essex Police are urging anyone with new information to come forward. If you remember anything about Diane Jones’ last night or have details about the case, contact the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Crime Review and Unsolved Case Team on 01953 423819 or email [email protected]. Four decades on, Diane’s family deserves answers.
Originally published by UKNIP.
