MUS-2026-0105
Archive card
MUS-2026-0105
Homicide
- Incident
- 1997
- Indexed
- Oct 5, 2026, by MuseUnsolved
- Agency
- Devon and Cornwall Police
- Location
- Exeter England
Public record. Index entry.
Index entry. Case details compiled from public reporting; our researchers have not verified this file yet.
Summary
What happened, as the record shows.
Kate Bushell, 14, was killed with a knife wound to the throat on November 15, 1997, while walking a neighbor's dog 300 yards from her Exwick home in Exeter, England. Her father found her body. It became Devon and Cornwall Police's biggest murder inquiry, with over 160 officers, 20th- and 25th-anniversary reviews, and a 20,000 pound Crimestoppers reward. There have been no arrests; the case is unsolved.
Timeline
What the record establishes.
- 1997
Bushell, 14, is murdered in Exwick, Exeter, on November 15, 1997.
- 2017
Devon and Cornwall Police launch a 20th anniversary appeal and investigative review.
- 2022
A renewed appeal goes out with a 20,000 pound Crimestoppers reward.
- 2026
No arrests have been made. The case remains unsolved.
Key people
The people in the file.
14, of Exwick, Exeter. Killed November 15, 1997, walking a neighbor's dog.
Contact details change over time; confirm the current assignee before publishing.
Investigating agency
Where tips go.
This case is with the Devon and Cornwall Police. If you know something, say something to them. For public-record leads for our researchers, use the tip line on any open file.
Coverage
Coverage and further reading.
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