Police hope jacket holds key to Colchester stab death

Detective chief superintendent Steve Worron said officers are "particularly seeking a murder weapon" in their investigation into the killing of a woman in Colchester, Essex last week.

He said they are looking for a clean-shaven, tanned man in his late teens, with thick "mop-like" dark hair.

Detectives said the man was wearing a "distinctive" beige jacket.

More: Police hope jacket holds key to Colchester stab death

Police officers in Essex have drained a pond near the scene where Saudi Arabian student Nahid Almanea was murdered in Colchester last Tuesday and are carrying out an "intensive fingertip search."

The 31-year-old was stabbed 16 times and left to die as she walked along a quiet footpath in the town.

The search came as Detective chief superintendent Steve Worron issued a new appeal for information about a man seen wearing a "distinctive" beige-coloured jacket while walking along the Salary Brook Trail, where Ms Almanea was killed, around the time of the attack.

More: Police hope jacket holds key to Colchester stab death

Essex Police have released a picture of a distinctive jacket worn by a man seen on the Salary Brook Trail just before Nahid Almanea's body was found. The man wearning it was seen walking towards the Greenstead estate between 10.20am and 10.40am.

He is described as being aged in his late teens to 30. He had very black, thick hair which was quite short and a two to three inch mop style on top. He was clean shaven, of average build with a tanned face. He wore baggy trousers, which may have been lightweight cotton.

He was wearing a very distinctive jacket described as an Italian designer item in either suede or leather. it was slightly longer than waist-length, had brown buttons up the front and two pockets also with buttons. It was beige and had a belt.

Essex Police say they're continuing to search for a murder weapon near Salary Brook Trail in Colchester where Nahid Almanea was found murdered on Tuesday June 17. They have yet to recover any knife or bladed weapon with a proven link to the killing.

One of the three fishing lakes nearby has been drained and specialist officers are searching the area. The other two lakes will also be drained.

Police are urging people in Colchester to check their gardens, hedges, rubbish bins, and communal areas around flats for any trace of any discarded weapons or blood stained clothing or footwear.

Police in Essex are investigating whether two "frenzied" stabbings in the town of Colchester are linked.

Saudi Arabaian student Nahid Almanea, 31, was stabbed 16 times and left to die as she walked along a quiet footpath in the town last Tuesday.

James Attfield, a vulnerable 33-year-old died after being stabbed 102 times in the town in March.

In a statement, Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Worron said:

More: Police probe potential links between town's 'frenzied' stabbings

A 19-year-old man arrested in connection with the murder of a Saudi Arabia student has been released.

The man was being questioned in connection to the murder of 31-year-old Nahid Almanea who was stabbed 16 times while walking in Colchester, Essex last Tuesday.

He was also being held over a separate attack on a woman who was assaulted while jogging in the town on Thursday.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "No further action against him is planned in respect of either the murder or the assault as he has been eliminated from both inquiries."

Police in Essex have arrested a 19-year-old man from Colchester in connection with their investigation into the "brutal" murder of a Saudi Arabian student.

Nahid Almanea, who was 31, was stabbed 16 times on Tuesday morning.

Today, a man was arrested for a separate offence of assault.

The arrest came after a woman who was jogging near Peache Road in the town reported that a man had approached her and tried to grab her at around 10pm yesterday.

She was able to fight him off and made her way home before contacting police.

Police searched the area and a man was subsequently arrested.

Following further enquiries he was then further arrested shortly after 4pm today in connection with the murder investigation.

He remains in custody for questioning.

Read more: Head teacher warns parents to not let children walk to school alone

A man arrested in connection with the brutal murder of Saudi Arabian student Nahid Almanea has been released, police said.

The 52-year-old man has been positively eliminated from enquiries, Essex Police said.

Nahid, 31, died after she was stabbed 16 times as she walked along a path in Colchester, Essex, on Tuesday morning.

She had been studying an English language course at the University of Essex as part of her studies for a life sciences PhD.

Read: Police warn of revenge attacks after stabbing

Police have warned against revenge attacks after a Saudi Arabian woman was stabbed to death on a footpath in Colchester.

Student Nahid Almanea, 31, died after she was stabbed 16 times on Tuesday morning, Essex Police said.

Essex Police called for calm, saying they were aware threats of revenge attacks had been made on social media sites.

Essex Police say they cannot yet be sure whether Saudi Arabian student Nadid Almanea was killed because she was wearing Muslim dress. It is one line of inquiry, they say.

Nahid's body was found on a footpath in Colchester on Saturday. She had been stabbed 16 times.

Speaking at a press conference today, Essex Police also said they were investigating whether her death was linked to another fatal Colchester stabbing in March.

Read: Police warn Colchester people not to visit isolated places alone