Police make new arrest over 1993 murder of Bristol woman

A fresh arrest has been made over the murder of a Bristol woman 31 years ago, police have said.

A 64-year-old man from Newcastle was arrested earlier this month on suspicion of Carol Clark’s murder and bailed to return to police in June, pending further inquiries, Gloucestershire Police said.

Ms Clark was 32 when she was strangled, her neck broken and her body dumped in reeds and undergrowth at the side of the Gloucester and Sharpness Canal.

She was last seen getting into a car in the Montpelier area of Bristol where she lived at about 11.30pm on Friday March 26 in 1993.

She was wearing a black baseball cap, brown leather jacket, blue denim mini skirt, black polo-necked jumper and plain blue t-shirt at the time.

Two days later, on Sunday March 28 1993, a dog walker found Carol’s body close to the water at Sharpness Docks.

Gloucestershire Police launched a large-scale murder investigation after Ms Clark’s body was found but despite extensive inquiries and reviews of the case, the murderer has remained at large.

The case was reopened last year after Gloucestershire Constabulary officers working as part of the South West Major Crime Investigation team received “new and significant” information.

A 66-year-old Gloucestershire man arrested on suspicion of murder last year in connection with the case also remains under investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Usher said: “We remain committed to getting answers for Carol’s family.

“I’m still asking people to come forward if they feel they may have information which could assist us.

“The location where Carol was found was overlooked by the Severn Way, and on the weekend she was discovered it was the 200th-anniversary celebrations of the British Waterways, so it would have been very busy, with foreign-registered vessels in the dock.

“Maybe you were there at the time but travelled back home without hearing about the case until now. Whatever the reason, if you were there and now recall something please report it.

“Carol’s family have been updated by police family liaison officers on this arrest and we ask that their privacy is respected at this time.”