This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/may/29/teenager-arrested-essex-stabbings-nahid-almanea-james-attfield-colchester

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 1 Version 2
16-year-old boy arrested over Essex stabbings 16-year-old boy charged with Essex stabbings
(about 14 hours later)
Detectives investigating the fatal stabbings of two people in Essex have arrested a 16-year-old boy on suspicion of murder. A 16-year-old boy has been charged with two knife murders, police have said. The youth was arrested on the Salary Brook Trail in Colchester – where Saudi student Nahid Almanea was stabbed to death last June – at about 11am on Tuesday on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
The teenager was taken into custody on Tuesday morning on suspicion of possessing an offensive weapon while on the Salary Brook trail in Colchester, where Saudi student Nahid Almanea was stabbed to death last June. On Friday night, Essex police confirmed that the boy had been charged with the murder of Almanea and that of James Attfield, who died after being stabbed more than 100 times in a park in the town in March last year. The two deaths prompted fears that a killer was randomly targeting members of the public after officers said there were “striking similarities” in how they were murdered but nothing to link the victims.
Essex police said on Friday he had been rearrested on suspicion of the murder of Almanea and that of James Attfield, who died after being stabbed more than 100 times in a park in the town in March last year. The teenager is being held at Colchester police station. Attfield, who had a brain injury after being hit by a car four years before his death, was found fighting for his life in the town’s Castle Park on 29 March last year. He died later in hospital. Almanea, 31, was walking to lectures at the University of Essex when she was murdered on the Salary Brook Trail on 17 June.
The two deaths prompted fears that a killer was randomly targeting members of the public, after officers said there were striking similarities in how they were killed but nothing to link the two victims. Det Chf Supt Steve Worron, who led the investigation, said: “We have received excellent backing throughout the investigations into both James and Nahid’s deaths from the whole community in Colchester, and I would like to thank them all again for their continued support. We are continuing our inquiries, and if anyone believes they have any information relating to either James or Nahid’s deaths I would ask them to contact us as soon as possible.”
Attfield, who had a brain injury after being hit by a car four years before his death, was found fighting for his life in the town’s Castle Park on 29 March last year. He died later in hospital. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will appear before Chelmsford magistrates court on Saturday morning. Anyone with information can call Essex police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Almanea, 31, was walking to lectures at the University of Essex, when she was murdered on the Salary Brook trail on 17 June.
Speaking at the time, DCS Steve Worron said a criminal profiler had assessed both cases. He said: “The circumstances of both crimes mean that we must consider the possibility that the same killer or killers are responsible. We are continuing to explore this line of inquiry, along with many others, and both investigations are being continually resourced and are receiving equal precedence.”
Anyone with information should contact Essex police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.16-year-