Search for Bournemouth beach murderer enters fifth day as teenager arrested for murder of mother, 34, released

The hunt for the killer of a “beautiful mother and wife” who was killed in a horrific double stabbing on Bournemouth beach has entered its fifth day.

Amie Gray, 34, a women's football coach from nearby Poole, was described by her family as a “beautiful person inside and out”. She was found with stab wounds on Durley Chine beach shortly before midnight on Friday and died at the scene.

Dorset Police initially arrested a 17-year-old boy on Saturday but revealed they later eliminated him from their investigations, urging the public to refrain from “unnecessary speculation”.

Concerns continue to grow in the city today as police search for a hooded man after CCTV footage of him emerged on Sunday.

Residents of the seaside town say the tourist hotspot has deteriorated in recent years, with increasing crime and a lack of security as police continue to investigate a tragic double stabbing, with a woman dead and another hospitalized with serious injuries.

One local, who did not wish to be named, said: “There has certainly been a noticeable increase in anti-social behavior and crime in Bournemouth over recent years.

“And I think there’s a correlation between that and the council cutting back on security.” They used to hire adequate security guards to patrol the beach, but now they only have these rangers, who have no power to arrest anyone.

“The number of rapes and stabbings in Bournemouth in recent times is alarming. It’s tough here now.

A couple who rent a beach hut but wish to remain anonymous said: “I think Bournemouth has gone downhill recently. We are really worried about this incident, but we wouldn't be walking on the beach late at night anyway and we never really noticed a problem during the day.

Click here to resize this module

The deadly attack happened shortly before midnight Friday, and three days later, a mile-long stretch of beach is still cordoned off and officers are searching both the sand and the cliff top.

Dorset Police said a 38-year-old woman, also from Poole, was still receiving treatment after being seriously injured in the attack.

This weekend, Amie's wife Sian Gray and their daughter paid tribute to her by sprinkling rose petals into the sea at sunset while looking up to the sky and telling her they loved him.

Sian said: “Sunsets will always remind us of you, Amie Gray. Always loved wife and mother.

Her friend Michelle Small said: “Devastated by this. Worked with Amie Gray in her very first job when she was 17.

“She was always the kindest and most charming young lady and continued to be throughout her cruelly cut short life. RIP beautiful girl.'

Nicola Smale, another friend, said: “Fly high Amie Gray, I will miss you so much. I feel so heavy! You were such a good friend and someone I could call for anything. A beautiful person inside and out, thank you for all the laughs and memories that I will cherish forever.

Alice Fraser added: “You lit up the room with your fun and bubbly presence.”

Concerned citizens have raised concerns that a killer is on the loose after police released the only suspect in a murder investigation.

Leanne Cotton said: “So for three days this man has been on the loose on the streets, still because you are suggesting you had the man responsible?” Excellent work by Dorset Police.

Click here to resize this module

Cathy Jacques said: “I would suggest warning women not to go out after dark at the moment as the killer is still out there. Bournemouth is no longer safe, and hasn't been for a few years now.

Gemma Heawood added: “It's so scary knowing whoever did it is still here.”

At a press conference, detectives decided to reassure residents and visitors by stepping up patrols for the remainder of the bank holiday weekend.

Detective Superintendent Richard Dixey said: “We understand the concern the public will have following this incident.

“There will be an increased police presence in the area.”

The suspect's CCTV cameras were released on Sunday evening, with DS Richard Dixey asking anyone who may have seen the person pictured or anything unusual to come forward.

Officers equipped with metal detectors and sniffer dogs were seen combing the beach, leading to speculation they may have been searching for the murder weapon.

Flowers were laid in tribute to Ms Gray across the mile-long police cordon stretching to Bournemouth Pier.

The victim was the head coach of Dorset Football Club, whose members said they “couldn’t put this into words at the moment”.

Click here to resize this module

The club's profile photo has been replaced by a black square. A photo posted by one of Ms Gray's relatives showed her with an award she had received for her work at the club.

“I'm so sorry for your loss, she was a wonderful person,” a friend commented.

Bournemouth West MP Sir Conor Burns said: “Yet another tragic and brutal event locally.

“The public should be reassured that one of the reasons these events are still so newsworthy is that they are still relatively rare.”

“We want the police to know quickly what they find and hope that this is an isolated and random act of violence.”

Mr Dixey, of the Major Crime Investigation Team, added that online speculation about the “horrific incident” was “unhelpful”.

Jo Taylor, from nearby Christchurch, said she was already nervous about coming to Bournemouth and added that knife crime was not punished harshly enough.

A couple visiting the resort said: “We came from Bethnal Green to find a stab here in sunny Bournemouth.”

Ali Townsend, 50, a marketing director on holiday in Cheltenham with her husband and son, said: “It's just terribly tragic that one young woman is dead and another is fighting for her life.

“We are staying near where this happened and we were thinking of going for a walk last night but decided against it.

“The increased police presence means I’m not afraid, but something like this puts things into perspective.”