The hunt for the murderer of a ‘beautiful mother and wife’ who was killed in a horrific double stabbing on Bournemouth Beach has entered its fifth day.
Amie Gray, 34, a women’s football coach from nearby Poole, has been described by her family as a ‘beautiful person inside and out’. She 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’.
Now, concerns continue to grow in the city as police search for a hooded man after CCTV images were released of him on Sunday.
Locals in the seaside town say the tourist hot spot has deteriorated in recent years, with rising crime and a lack of security as police continue to investigate a tragic double stabbing with one woman dead and another in hospital with serious injuries.
One local, 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.
Police have released CCTV images of the Bournemouth stabbing suspect on Sunday (pictured)
Amie Gray, a women’s football coach, is seen holding an award for clubwoman of the year
Sian Gray (left) pictured with her wife Amie Gray (right) who was found with stab wounds on Durley Chine Beach
‘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.’
A couple who rent a beach hut but wanted to be 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.’
The fatal stabbing happened shortly before midnight on Friday, and three days later a mile-long stretch of the beach is still cordoned off with officers searching both the sand and the clifftop.
Dorset Police said a 38-year-old woman, also from Poole, was still being treated after she was seriously injured in the attack.
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.’
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 murder victim has been described as a ‘beautiful person inside and out’
People were unable to go on to the beach west of the pier due to the police cordon (seen on Saturday)
A police forensics officer scours Durley Chine Beach for evidence on Saturday after the attack
Worried members of the public have shared their concerns that a killer is on the loose after police released the only suspect in a murder investigation.
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.’
At a press conference, detectives moved to reassure locals and visitors by stepping up patrols for the rest of the bank holiday weekend.
Detective Superintendent Richard Dixey said: ‘We understand the concern that the public will have as a result of this incident.
‘There will be an enhanced police presence in the area.’
CCTV of the suspect were released on Sunday evening, with DS Richard Dixey asking anyone who may have seen the person pictured or anything unusual to come forward.
Officers with metal detectors and sniffer dogs were seen combing the beach, leading to suggestions they may have been searching for the murder weapon.
Flowers have been laid in tribute to Ms Gray on the other side of the mile-long police cordon extending to Bournemouth Pier.
Flowers were left Amie and a second stabbing victim who remains seriously injured
A police officer stands guard at the cordon underneath Bournemouth Pier on Saturday
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.
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’.
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
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.’
