Suspect in Suffolk strangler murders will face no charges

The investigation continues into the murders of five prostitutes in Ipswich
12 April 2012

The first suspect held over the Suffolk Strangler murders has been told he will not be charged with any offence.

Tom Stephens, 38, was arrested following a series of interviews to the media in which he admitted knowing all five of the Ipswich prostitutes killed late last year.

Although he said he acted as their protector, he admitted he would have had the opportunity to carry out the murders because "the girls trusted me so much".

The former special constable, who is divorced, also said he might not have alibis to explain his whereabouts when each of the women disappeared.

The revelations initially put him in the frame for the murders - but also raised questions about whether he was simply an attention-seeking fantasist.

Suffolk police had to divert resources to investigate the 38-year-old and continued to do so after a second suspect, Stephen Wright, was arrested.

Wright, 49, was subsequently charged with the murders of the five women and is awaiting trial.

Stephens, who has been on police bail since December 21, could have faced a charge of wasting police time but was told on Wednesday(CORR) that no action would be taken.

A police spokeswoman said: "Suffolk police can confirm that a 38-year-old man arrested in connection with the deaths of five women in late 2006 has now had his bail cancelled.

"He faces no further action in connection with the offences."

Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, Anneli Alderton, 24, Paula Clennell, 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, all vanished from Ipswich's red light district between October 30 and December 10 last year.

Supermarket worker Mr Stephens was arrested on December 18 at his home in the village of Trimley St Martin, near Felixstowe.

In an interview with a Sunday paper published 24 hours earlier, he said: "From the police profiling it does look like me - white male between 25 and 40, knows the area, works strange hours."

He added: "I'm a friend of all the girls. I was closest to Tania. And Gemma as well. I was close to the others as well. But I should have been there to watch over them.

"I don't have alibis for some of the times - actually I'm not entirely sure I have alibis for any of the times. But I'm not worried about being charged - I'm innocent."

Mr Stephens was believed to have gone into hiding

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