Jodie Chesney, 17, was brutally stabbed to death in a park in Romford last night
Stabbed to death in cold blood: Police reveal ‘sweet’ 17-year-old girl scout’s killers marched straight up to her and knifed her in the back
The 17-year-old girl scout stabbed to death on Friday was killed in cold blood as two men walked straight up to her and one of them knifed her in the back, police have revealed.
Jodie Chesney was murdered while playing music with her boyfriend, 18-year-old Eddie Coyle, and four other friends in Harold Hill, Romford.
Police have said the killer was a black teenager who had been in the park with another man earlier in the evening, before returning at 9.30pm and stabbing Ms Chesney in the back.
The two suspects then ran off while her heartbroken boyfriend screamed for help and ‘stroked and kissed her face’ as she lay bleeding to death, witnesses have said.
Mr Coyle left an emotional message on a card nearby, saying: ‘Jodie you are the best thing that could have happened in my life. I will love you always and you will forever be in my heart beautiful.’
Jodie’s mother Claire Gillham also left flowers at the scene of the murder today while her grandmother called for an end to ‘needless violence’.
Detectives are appealing for further witnesses but have yet to make any arrests.
A post-mortem at East Ham mortuary today confirmed her cause of death as trauma and haemorrhage, Scotland Yard said.
Ms Chesney was an enthusiastic Scout Explorer who had visited Downing Street in November posting on Instagram that it was ‘so much fun’ and ‘I’m basically famous now.’
She was also selected to honour the Chelsea Pensioners at the Royal Albert Hall, appearing in a BBC broadcast last year in front of the Queen and Prince William.
Speaking to ITV News her uncle Dave Chesney said the family was ‘devastated’, adding: ‘This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her.’
Her grandmother Debbie Chesney said: ‘This was our youngest granddaughter. How have we come to this point where kids can’t have a walk in a park without suffering an unprovoked attack?
‘If anyone knows anything about this please contact the police with information. We don’t want anyone else to go through what our family is suffering right now.
‘This has to stop, there are too many young people having their lives cut short by needless violence.’
Witness Krystle Pasha, who lives close to the scene of the stabbing, told Sky News she heard arguing and shouting before a ‘disturbing’ scream in the moments before the attack.
Another witness, mother-of-three Teresa Farenden, 49, and her friend Kelly Smith, 36, said two men stabbed the teenage girl in front of her boyfriend before fleeing.