Anniversary appeal over mother's death

By Thelma Etim
BBC News, Dorset

Heather Barnett, whose body was found by her children

She was a loving mother whose two children were the centre of her universe and the vivacious best friend described as "one in a million".

But three years ago Heather Barnett's life was brutally cut short by a murderer who is still at large.

Her son and daughter arrived home from school to find their mother had been stabbed several times, beaten with a hammer-like weapon and her body mutilated.

Bizarrely, the 48-year-old was clutching strands of someone else's hair in both of her hands when she was discovered in her flat in Capstone Road in Charminster, Bournemouth, on 12 November 2002.

The clumps of hair were placed in the seamstress' palms by her killer.

I realise that it's really bizarre and I am asking women to come forward and talk about the potential that their hair is in the hands of a dead woman Det Supt Phil James

Det Supt Phil James, from Dorset Police, who has been leading the investigation into Ms Barnett's horrific death, believes the hair mystery is vital to solving the murder case.

"I believe that if I can identify whose head hair that is that will provide me with the link to the murderer.

"If any lady has travelled on a bus in Bournemouth, particularly prior to Heather's murder and they've had their hair cut whilst travelling on a bus, or they've got home and realised a clump of hair has been cut from their head, then I would like to hear from them."

Since Dorset Police first publicised the significance of the hair find, five women have come forward.

Mr James added: "I realise that it's really bizarre and I am asking women to come forward and talk about the potential that their hair has been in the hands of a dead woman."

Det Supt Phil James has appealed to taxi and bus drivers in the area

A fresh development to the ongoing investigation is the hunt for a man who was captured on CCTV crossing the road near her home on the day she was killed.

Detectives are now specifically appealing to taxi and bus drivers who were working on the day she was murdered.

They believe they may have taken this unknown man's fare after picking him up near the Richmond Arms Pub near Capstone Road 0930 GMT on 12 November 2002.

Her two young children came home from school and found their mother dead in their house Det Supt Phil James

On that day Ms Barnett's children arrived home to find their mother lying on the bathroom floor. Terry was 14 and Caitlin just 11.

"Heather was brutally murdered and her two young children came home from school and found their mother dead in their house - that must be absolutely devastating," said Mr James.

"I am not sure how you ever recover from something that."

Italian connection

Her murder has left a path strewn with countless unanswered questions, as it has led to numerous lines of inquiry, one of which saw Mr James flying to Salerno in Italy twice.

He liaised with his counterparts over the disappearance of 16-year-old Italian girl Elisa Claps - whose body was never found - 11 years ago.

Ms Claps went missing from her home town of Potenza on 12 September, 1993.

He believes "there are a number of links between the two cases" and his team has been working closely with the anti-mafia police "to solve both cases". However, he would not reveal what those links were.

Heather Barnett's key ring is still missing

Another piece of the murder jigsaw is the whereabouts of the seamstress' missing key ring.

The senior policeman added: "We have never recovered that key ring and clearly we are interested in where that key ring is now and why it is not within Heather's house or possessions."

He is now hopeful of the rightful outcome to the case given the" advances" in forensic techniques and developments.

Since the investigation got under way, a man has been arrested and released without charge.

"Heather was a loving mother, she lived for her children, they were her focus," added the detective superintendent.