John Palmer

John Palmer, 65, was at his home in Sandpit Lane in South Weald, Brentwood on Wednesday 24 June 2015, when he was murdered.

The father, and now grandfather, was burning rubbish in the garden of his home. At around 5.30pm it is believed his killer entered his garden over the fence and shot Mr Palmer six times.

A mortally wounded Mr Palmer managed to walk a short distance towards his house before collapsing. He was then discovered by relatives who called for help. Mr Palmer died from his injuries.

A hole found in the garden fence of Mr Palmer’s rural home suggests the killer may have been watching him in the days leading up to his death.

Since his murder, detectives have closely examined his history and associations in the UK and abroad; gathered intelligence in the UK and abroad; taken hundreds of witness statements; traced vehicles; examined more than 1,400 documents and pursued more than 700 lines of enquiry.

Despite the determined efforts of detectives, Mr Palmer’s murderer remains at large and his family have been left without justice.

It's never too late to come forward with information, no matter how small or insignificant you think your information might be. It could be the missing puzzle piece we've been looking for. 

If you have any information in relation to this case, then please get in contact with our Cold Case Team.

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