Police are now undertaking house to house enquiries as they seek more information on a suspect who stabbed a ‘beautiful mother and wife’ to death on Bournemouth beach.
Amie Gray, 34, a women’s football coach from nearby Poole, was found with stab wounds on Durley Chine Beach shortly before midnight on Friday and died at the scene.
Dorset Police originally arrested a 17-year-old boy on Saturday but revealed they had later eliminated him from their enquiries, urging the public against ‘unhelpful speculation’.
Members of the public have since shared their concerns that a killer is on the loose after CCTV images of a hooded man were released on Sunday.
On Tuesday evening, Detective Superintendent Richard Dixey said her officers were pursuing a number of lines of enquiry in their hunt for the killer.
Amie Gray, a women’s football coach, is seen holding an award for clubwoman of the year
A police cordoned was in place from the west of Bournemouth Pier to Alum Chine following the fatal stabbing
Police search teams scale down a cliffside today looking for evidence near the West Cliff Zig-Zag
The manhunt continues for a knifeman who remains on the loose after stabbing to death personal trainer Amie Grey
Police teams could be seen covering all possible areas around Durley Chine Beach
Police seen searching the undergrowth on the 80ft tall sloping cliffs above the promenade
Detective Superintendent Dixey, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘There are significant resources deployed to this investigation to identify the person responsible and ensure the public remain safe and secure.
‘We are proactively pursuing a number of active lines of enquiry and intelligence and are working tirelessly to piece together the tragic circumstances of the night, with house-to-house enquiries continuing in the area.
Police have released CCTV images of the Bournemouth stabbing suspect on Sunday (pictured)
‘I would like to reiterate our appeal to anyone with information about this incident, or the identity of the person responsible, to contact Dorset Police.
‘There remains an enhanced and visible policing presence in the area.
‘Specially-trained officers are continuing to update the family of the woman who very sadly lost her life, as well as the surviving victim, and our thoughts remain with them throughout all that we do.
‘The cordon on Durley Chine Beach has now been lifted, but there are still scenes in place in the surrounding areas to allow for further forensic examination as we continue to conduct extensive enquiries.’
Despite family and friends paying tribute to Mrs Gray on social media, Dorset Police are not naming her.
A spokesperson said: ‘We have not confirmed the name of the victim. The naming of somebody who has sadly died is the remit of the coroner.’
Meanwhile, police continue to scale Durley Chine Beach and the West Cliff Zig-Zag as they search for evidence.
Dorset local Leanne Cotton said: ‘So for three days this man has been loose to roam the streets still due to you suggesting you had the man responsible? Great work Dorset Police.’
Cathy Jacques said: ‘I would suggest putting out a warning for women not to go out after dark right now as the killer is still out there. Bournemouth isn’t safe anymore and hasn’t been for a few years now.’
Gemma Heawood added: ‘So scary to know whoever did it is still out there.’
Friends of Amie also urged the police to catch the ‘evil b*****d’ who killed her. One friend today described Amie as a ‘friend to everyone’ and said he couldn’t think of any reason why anyone would hurt her.
Another female friend posted the CCTV images of the suspect on social media and urged her followers: ‘Please share the hell out of this, we need to pull together and catch this evil b*****d.’
A police officer stands by beach huts. Behind them, search teams appear to be looking for a possible murder weapon
Sian Gray (left) pictured with her wife Amie Gray (right) who was found with stab wounds on Durley Chine Beach
The murder victim has been described as a ‘beautiful person inside and out’
Police have released CCTV images of their prime suspect – a young man who was wearing a black hoodie at the time – and have warned people not to approach him.
The 1.5 mile long police cordon from Bournemouth Pier to Alum Chine has this morning been lifted.
But police officers could be seen searching the undergrowth on the 80ft tall sloping cliffs above the promenade, apparently in search for the possible murder weapon.
Teams were seen hacking away at the dense gorse while abseiling down the cliff. The focus of the search is concentrated on the West Cliff zig zag path, which is 10 minutes walk from where Amie was murdered on the sandy beach.
West Cliff Green, a scenic park at the top of the cliff, is also sealed off with officers searching in bushes.
Locals in the seaside town have also said claimed that the tourist hot spot has deteriorated in recent years, with rising crime and a lack of security.
One person, who didn’t want to be named, said: ‘There’s definitely been a noticeable increase in antisocial behaviour and crime in Bournemouth in the last few years.
‘And I think there’s a correlation between that and the council cutting back on security. They used to hire proper security to patrol the beach but now they just have these rangers, who don’t have any powers to detain anyone.
‘It’s alarming, the number of rapes and stabbings in Bournemouth lately. It’s rough down here now.’
Officers were also seen with sniffer dogs, leading to suggestions they may have been searching for the murder weapon
Officers pictured on Monday afternoon with metal detectors as they comb the beach
A couple who rent a beach hut but wanted to remain anonymous said: ‘I do think Bournemouth has gone downhill recently. We are definitely worried by this incident, but we wouldn’t walk around the beach late at night anyway and we’ve never really noticed any trouble in the daytime.’
Reverend Christopher Colledge, a local resident, said: ‘West Cliff Green is still closed off and the police have been looking in bushes. Officers have also been going down the cliff doing a thorough search for the murder weapon.
‘I think it is extremely concerning that this has happened and has taken place in such a wonderful location as Durley Chine.
‘I think it has shocked the community and I do hope that the person who did this most terrible murder will be apprhended sooner rather than later.
‘I know that people are hesitant about going out and are obviously concerned about safety.’
David d’Orton-Gibson, a Conservative councillor for the Westbourne and West Cliff ward, said: ‘Constituents haven’t voiced concerns to me yet, but that may well be because the police had somebody in custody so they felt there was no reason to be concerned.
‘I would expect there might be more concerns raised in the next few days.
‘The police have spoken to us, they are actively engaged in finding the perpetrator and I don’t think people need to be worried. It’s very rare that these things are totally random.’
Dorset Police said a 38-year-old woman, also from Poole, was still being treated after she was seriously injured in the attack.
Flowers left at Bournemouth Beach on Monday morning
Forensics officers pictured on Saturday near the shore where blood appears to be on the sand
On the weekend, Amie’s wife Sian Gray and their daughter paid tribute to her by sprinkling rose petals into the sea at sunset while looking up at the sky and telling her they love her.
Sian said: ‘Sunsets will always remind us of you Amie Gray. Forever loved wife and mother.’
Friend Michelle Small said: ‘Devastated by this. Worked with Amie Gray in her very first job when she turned 17.
‘She was always the kindest lovely young girl and continued to be so throughout her cruelly cut short life. RIP beautiful girl.’
Amie was married to wife Sian and was step-mother to her 13-year-old daughter.
She worked for National Windscreens and was also the ladies head coach for the Dorset Futsal Club.
She was also known to have regularly provided lifts to friends and was meant to have picked someone up from the Bournemouth 7s Festival at Chapel Gate, about three miles from Durley Chine beach, just over an hour after she was killed.
Nicola Smale, another friend, said: ‘Fly high Amie Gray, I’ll miss you so much. I feel so heavy! You were such a good friend and someone I could call about anything. A beautiful person inside and out, thank you for all the laughs and memories I will cherish forever.’
Alice Fraser added: ‘You lit up the room with your fun and bubbly presence.’
The cordoned beach where forensics officers were busy at work on Saturday
An aerial view showing the crowded side and deserted side of Bournemouth beach after the double stabbing
Police forensics officers scour Durley Chine Beach for evidence on Saturday after the attack
Gavin Cross, a close friend of Amie, also said: ‘Amie would light up a room, she had an infectious smile.
‘Whatever she was going through in her own life she would always put other people’s feelings first. She was a really good friend to everyone, I can’t imagine anyone that would want to hurt her.
‘She had her own stuff she was dealing with and going through a difficult period with her wife but she was moving from strength to strength, it was really good to see and her life was cut short.
‘Amie was really popular and lots of people knew her from different walks of life. There’s a massive community of people so I’d like to organise a vigil and do something in her memory but also as a protest against knife crime.
‘People need to be able to go out and not be afraid.’
Flowers have been laid in tribute to Ms Gray on the other side of the mile-long police cordon extending to Bournemouth Pier.
The victim was the head ladies coach for Dorset Football Club where members said they ‘couldn’t put this into words at this time’.
The club’s profile picture was changed to a black square. A picture posted by one of Ms Gray’s relatives showed her with an award, which she had received for her work with the club.
‘So sorry for your loss, she was a beautiful person,’ a friend commented.
A police officer stands guard at the cordon underneath Bournemouth Pier on Saturday
Bournemouth West MP Sir Conor Burns said: ‘Yet another tragic, brutal event locally.
‘One will want to reassure the public that one of the reasons that these events are still so newsworthy is that they are still so relatively rare.
‘We want to hear quickly from the police what they are finding and hope that this is an isolated, random act of violence.’
Mr Dixey, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, added that speculation online about the ‘horrendous incident’ was ‘unhelpful’.
Jo Taylor, from nearby Christchurch, said she was already nervous about coming into Bournemouth and added that knife crime was not being punished severely enough.
A couple visiting the resort said: ‘We’ve come all the way from Bethnal Green to find a stabbing here in sunny Bournemouth.’
Ali Townsend, 50, a marketing director on holiday from Cheltenham with her husband and son, said: ‘It is just awfully tragic that a young woman has died and another is fighting for her life.
‘We are staying near to where it happened and were thinking of going for a walk last night but decided not to.
‘The increased police presence means I don’t feel scared but something like this puts things into perspective.’
Police cordoned off a mile-long stretch of beach to the west of Bournemouth Pier on Saturday
A forensic officer takes a photograph of evidence on the beach in Dorset
Police cordoned off a mile-long stretch of beach to the west of Bournemouth Pier on Saturday
A forensic officer takes a photograph of evidence on the beach in Dorset
Police have not released any details about the second victim of the stabbing or confirmed whether she was with Amie at the time.
They have also not commented on the reason why the two women were attacked of if either of them knew their assailant.
In their last statement released yesterday (Mon), Detective Sergeant Richard Dixey, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘The investigation into this tragic incident is progressing and detectives are dedicated to finding out what happened and ensuring our communities remain safe and secure.
‘We need the public’s help to identify the suspect in the CCTV images. If you recognise him or have any information, no matter how small, that may lead us to his identity please get in touch immediately.
‘We would ask the public not to approach a suspect under any circumstances, but to call 999 immediately.
‘Our thoughts remain with the loved ones of the woman who tragically lost her life and the surviving victim as we drive forward our investigation.
‘If you were on Durley Chine beach during the night from May 24 to May 25 and saw the man pictured or any suspicious activity, we need to hear from you.
‘We also are renewing our appeal to anyone who was in the area of Durley Roundabout, West Cliff Gardens, Durley Gardens or West Cliff Drive during that night. Did you see anyone acting strangely, mainly between 10pm and midnight? Do you have dashcam or CCTV footage that may assist the enquiry?’
