Gruesome murder of mum found beaten to death in South London park remains unsolved
In a horrific and bizarre case that shocked South Londoners and the Metropolitan Police, a young mum was found beaten to death in a park. Cheryl Lesley Shackleton had received a “repetitive beating” during the gruesome attack in February 1991, with her body then arranged in a grotesque pose.
Despite the city's police force launching a wide-ranging murder investigation, leads failed to emerge and over three decades later, her killer remains at large. Numerous appeals and Crimewatch reconstructions have not been able to identify the perpetrator, leaving the 34-year-old’s family without any justice.
A dog walker made the disturbing discovery at approximately 5.30am on February 3, while walking through the scenic Telegraph Hill Park in Brockley. She has suffered a number of injuries including a ruptured spleen, haemorrhaging, exposure to cold and it was believed that she had been strangled to death and possibly sexually assaulted.
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A murder investigation was launched but her identity was not confirmed until a month later, following an appeal on BBC Crimewatch. This however further confused police officers, as Cheryl was a woman from Lancashire who had no connections with South London, leaving no explanation as to why she would be in the vicinity.
In the years before her murder, Cheryl had been running a jewellery shop in the Arcade in Colne. Before she and her husband decided to separate, they had set up a stained glass business and were well known in the local community.
However after her son went to live with his dad in Yorkshire, friends noticed that Cheryl had increasingly begun to struggle with her mental health. She was noted to be a vulnerable person and eventually sold her house in Nelson and began travelling around the country with her belongings in a suitcase.
People who knew Cheryl also told police officers that she had a habit of carrying a large amount of cash on her person, offering the theory that she could have been killed in a robbery.
Over the course of the investigation, detectives established that Cheryl was last seen at an off-licence in New Cross with a suitcase. Her motive for being in the area is unclear, however when her body was discovered, she no longer had the suitcase.
Three potential witnesses who rang in anonymously were noted to be of interest to the police, as it was believed that they had seen Cheryl in the hours before her murder. The first woman said she had seen a woman thought to be Cheryl with a man walking in the park at 12.15am.
A second woman called on February 5 and said she had seen a woman and man in Endwell Road, near the park at 1.15am. She said that she had overheard the two of them discussing Paris, where Cheryl had recently visited.
A third woman contacted the police a month later after the BBC Crimewatch appeal to report that she and her friend had seen Cheryl on Endwell Road at the same time as the second witness. The male in question was described as white, who was about 6 foot tall and 25 - 30 years old.
While police officers focused their investigation on trying to track down the man she was believed to be with, they failed to identify any solid leads that would lead them to the individual. The case remained unsolved until it was reopened in 2006 due to new DNA technology, with a fresh appeal on BBC Crimewatch.
Following the broadcast of the appeal, Detective Inspector Des Nelhams said: "I believe, in the 15 years since it happened, the killer has spoken to somebody or boasted to someone about this murder.” After the programme, they received 11 calls naming five possible suspects and received a call from a new witness.
Det Insp Nelhams said he was particularly interested in two calls, one naming someone already in jail for a double murder and the other from a landlord who said someone had boasted of the murder.
To help in the bid to find her killer, her son Sean, who had only been nine years old at the time of her murder, made an appearance to discuss the circumstances of her death with police officers.
However, despite these fresh leads, it was revealed a few weeks later that the Met Police had been able to eliminate a suspect and half of the witnesses were unable to assist or take the inquiry any further.
The Met Police never close murder investigations and they are frequently subject to reviews. If you have any information that could aid detectives in bringing Cheryl's killer to justice, contact 101 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Do you have a story you think we should be covering? Email holly.evans@reachplc.com
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