COPS have named a suspect in a 20-year-old cold case murder after DNA was found on a cigarette butt.
Jennifer Kiely, 35, was found dead by the Sussex fire service in the early hours of January 22, 2005.
An investigation revealed the mum-of-three had been stabbed 16 times, raped and set on fire.
Her body was discovered in a shelter at a beach promenade at Holywell in Eastbourne.
Jennifer had had her belongings piled on top of her and was so badly burnt she had to be identified through dental records.
The attack was thought to be sexually motivated, and while two suspects were arrested in 2005, no one was charged with Jennifer’s murder.
Detectives recovered DNA from the scene, including a cigarette butt, that contained a full profile of a man whose profile also matched DNA found on the victim’s body.
But the DNA profile did not hit any matches on the national database.
Sussex Police have now named Keith Dowbekin, who died in 2014 aged 60, as the murder suspect due to “overwhelming” DNA evidence.
Dowbekin, also known as Keith Black and Keith Broadbent, had been associated with members of the homeless community like Jennifer, the force said.
He had arrested by Norfolk Police in connection with two separate rapes, prior to Jennifer’s attack, in Great Yarmouth in 2003 and 2004.
On January 29, 2005, Dowbekin was stopped at the Port of Dover for a investigative check relating to the mum-of-three’s death.
But the officers were not aware of his previous arrests, and they went unflagged.
Sussex Police are now “confident” he would have been charged in connection with Jennifer’s death.
Detective Chief Inspector Simon Dunn said: “In 2003 and 2004, there was no provision to take DNA from people who were arrested, DNA was only taken from those who were charged with an offence, that is different now.
“In addition to that, we have networks now of definitely cross-border checking in terms of intelligence systems.”
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