PEOPLE have been warned to be on their guard following the apparently
motiveless murder of an Irvine mother.
As a team of 50 detectives from throughout Strathclyde continued the
hunt for the killer of Ms Shona Stevens, 31, of Alder Green, the man
leading the hunt warned: ''It is vital that we detect and arrest the
person responsible quickly. In the meantime I would ask people in
Irvine, and the Bourtreehill area in particular, to be extra vigilant
while they are out and about, especially in the dark winter evenings.''
Detective Chief Inspector Bob Lauder said that, so far, his officers
had been unable to establish any motive for the brutal attack.
He added: ''The attack happened over a period of less than 10 minutes
in broad daylight in an area which is widely used by people going to
local shops, children playing and for dog walking and other recreational
pursuits.
''I am convinced that people must have seen something and, while we
have had some help, I feel there are other persons with important
information. I would ask them, please, not to wait for my officers to
get to them as the inquiry widens, but to get in touch with police at
once. It is vital that this person is found.''
Ms Stevens was flown to the Southern General Hospital in Glasgow from
the spot where she was found by a man walking his dog on Thursday
afternoon, but she died without regaining consciousness.
She was divorced and had lived with her mother and seven-year-old
daughter since returning from South Africa. Her former husband is
understood to be living in South Africa.
Mr Lauder suspects that one person carried out the attack with a blunt
instrument, but has no further evidence.
He continued: ''Ms Stevens led a a quiet and ordered life with her
mother and had simply gone to pick up a message at the local shop when
she met her killer. Someone must know something about this, and I would
appeal to them to help this important investigation into a very serious
and disturbing crime.''
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