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01/09/2009
Strangled Girl 'May Have Been Assaulted'
Police have not ruled out a sexual motive in the apparent murder of a nine-year-old girl found strangled in a lorry belonging to her 'step-father'.
Stacey Lawrence's body was left in the cab of a lorry parked on A605 near Warmington.
Her mother's 40-year-old partner Darren Walker was later discovered hanged in a nearby woods.
Northants Police Detective Chief Inspector Tricia Kirk today said: "We cannot rule out now that there was some sexual touching involved in this incident."
She said her officers were working to establish what had taken place.
"The tests we are doing we are hoping may give us a clearer indication. But we may never know exactly what happened in that lorry," said Ms Kirk.
Mr Walker had been involved in previous domestic incident and was in the process of divorcing an ex-partner.
He was cautioned for an assault on his wife in 2006.
Policing are now looking at Mr Walker's full history, after seizing his home computer.
He worked as a wholesale lorry driver and it is believed Stacey had accompanied him on a trip to East Anglia.
The lorry left its deport at 4am on Friday destined for Great Yarmouth.
On its return trip the lorry stopped outside Peterborough at around 3pm.
It was parked in the Warmington lay-by after 3.30pm.
Stacey's mother Roxanne last heard from Mr Walker some time between 7.30pm and 8pm that night.
"When he called her, he said he was about to go to bed and was expecting to leave in the early hours of Saturday to get back to the depot," DCI Kirk said.
"She heard Stacey talking in the background because she was watching a programme that she particularly liked."
Ms Laurence earlier told an reporter she planned to marry Mr Walker, who she considered a family man.
Stacey's school has been left in shock at the events. Eaton Valley Primary Principal Keith Shilton said: "It was a model family, very well balanced, very popular, the parents were very supportive and we can't understand what's gone on here, really."
(PR/BMcC)
Stacey Lawrence's body was left in the cab of a lorry parked on A605 near Warmington.
Her mother's 40-year-old partner Darren Walker was later discovered hanged in a nearby woods.
Northants Police Detective Chief Inspector Tricia Kirk today said: "We cannot rule out now that there was some sexual touching involved in this incident."
She said her officers were working to establish what had taken place.
"The tests we are doing we are hoping may give us a clearer indication. But we may never know exactly what happened in that lorry," said Ms Kirk.
Mr Walker had been involved in previous domestic incident and was in the process of divorcing an ex-partner.
He was cautioned for an assault on his wife in 2006.
Policing are now looking at Mr Walker's full history, after seizing his home computer.
He worked as a wholesale lorry driver and it is believed Stacey had accompanied him on a trip to East Anglia.
The lorry left its deport at 4am on Friday destined for Great Yarmouth.
On its return trip the lorry stopped outside Peterborough at around 3pm.
It was parked in the Warmington lay-by after 3.30pm.
Stacey's mother Roxanne last heard from Mr Walker some time between 7.30pm and 8pm that night.
"When he called her, he said he was about to go to bed and was expecting to leave in the early hours of Saturday to get back to the depot," DCI Kirk said.
"She heard Stacey talking in the background because she was watching a programme that she particularly liked."
Ms Laurence earlier told an reporter she planned to marry Mr Walker, who she considered a family man.
Stacey's school has been left in shock at the events. Eaton Valley Primary Principal Keith Shilton said: "It was a model family, very well balanced, very popular, the parents were very supportive and we can't understand what's gone on here, really."
(PR/BMcC)
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