New leads for police in 25-year-old murder case

Police are following up on 40 new lines of inquiry in the unsolved murder of Lyn Bryant, who was brutally killed in Cornwall in 1998.

They follow a new appeal for information by Devon and Cornwall Police in October, on the 25th anniversary of her death.

Mother-of-two Ms Bryant, 40, was walking her dog near her home in Ruan High Lanes on the Roseland when she was attacked and stabbed multiple times in a sexually motivated assault.

Her body was found in a field gateway near a chapel on 20 October 1998.

Devon and Cornwall Police said the appeal, backed by a £20,000 reward from charity Crimestoppers, generated 57 calls and messages from the public, providing 40 new actions and inquiries for the police to pursue.

This includes further DNA testing against a partial profile that is believed to belong to the killer.

Det Insp Rob Smith, who is leading the investigation, said: "It is touching to see the level of public support for this case despite the passing of time.

"We would, however, still encourage anyone else to contact us if they are wrestling with their conscience or harbouring suspicions about someone.

"Just one piece of information, however small, could be crucial in helping to identify and apprehend Lyn’s killer.

"We know that 25 years is a long time but we remain convinced that someone knows what happened to Lyn that day.

"For the sake of her family, please do the right thing and get in touch – now is the time."

Anyone with information can report it through the major incident public portal.

• 20 October 1998 - Lyn Bryant spends the morning cleaning a local home before briefly visiting her parents who live nearby
• 12:45 - Ms Bryant drives her grey Ford Sierra to Harris Garage (now Roseland Garage) but has to turn back when she finds they are out of fuel
• 13:05 - She goes back to Chenoweth's garage at Ruan High Lanes and buys fuel, milk and groceries
• 13:05-13:30 - Ms Bryant goes home, has lunch with daughter Erin and they watch Emmerdale
• 13:30 - She sets out on her regular walk with Jay, the family's tan and white lurcher, and is seen by a number of witnesses in the lane towards Ruan High Lanes Methodist Chapel
• 13:45-14:00 - A motorist sees Ms Bryant and Jay, and she is talking to a clean-shaven man at the junction by the chapel
• 14:30 - Ms Bryant's body is found in the gateway to a field a short distance from the junction
• 14:50 - The air ambulance arrives and she is pronounced dead at the scene
• 2 February 1999 - Her missing tortoiseshell glasses are found in the gateway, lying on muddy ground
• May 2016 - Scientists get a partial DNA profile during a forensic review of the case
• October 2016 - Police start retaking DNA samples nationally

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