Hair murder probe moves to Italy

The body of Ms Barnett was found by her children in November 2002

Detectives investigating the murder of a woman who had hair placed in her hand by the killer are making inquiries about cut hair with police in Italy.

Heather Barnett, 48, was stabbed and mutilated during an attack at her home in Bournemouth, Dorset, in 2002 but her killer has not been caught.

Police are trying to establish if there is a link to a missing Italian girl.

Two officers have spent a week in Italy examining and reviewing case papers, intelligence and witness accounts.

Number of links

Elisa Claps, 16, vanished from the southern Italian town of Potenza in September 1993.

Her body has never been found and last week Italian police re-opened their investigation into her disappearance.

Det Sgt Mark Cooper, who is leading the investigation, said: "Our work in Italy is very significant."

"We are making inquiries into cut hair in Dorset and Italy and are exploring all avenues of investigation.

"We are making detailed inquiries to establish if there is a link between the Heather Barnett and the Elisa Claps case.

"A number of leads and possible links are being investigated and the Italian aspect of our investigations is very important."

Elisa Claps, 16, vanished in Potenza in 1993

A detective from Dorset Police appeared on the Italian equivalent of the Crimewatch programme, Chi l'ha visto, on Monday to appeal for information about cut hair related to both investigations.

The body of Ms Barnett was discovered by her son, Terry, then 14, and daughter, Caitlin, who was 11, in her flat in Capstone Road in Charminster on 12 November 2002.

Ms Barnett, originally from Sturminster Newton, north Dorset, had been hit over the head with a hammer-like weapon before her children returned home from school.

More than 30 people responded to an appeal by police on the fifth anniversary of the murder to trace the owner of the hair placed in Ms Barnett's right hand.

An analysis of the 4in (9cm) strands revealed the owner had travelled to Spain or southern France and Florida in the months before the hair was cut.