Police have solved the 2005 murder of Jennifer Kiely, 35, whose body was found at a seafront shelter in Hollywell, Eastbourne, after DNA from a cigarette butt led to a suspect. The victim had been stabbed multiple times, struck on the head, and set on fire in what was believed to be a sexually motivated attack.
Two suspects were arrested in 2005 but released without charge due to insufficient evidence. DNA recovered from the scene, including from a cigarette butt, matched a man not on the national database. Over the years, police used familial DNA techniques to trace relatives, and in summer 2024, a sample from a man in northern England provided the final link.
Sussex Police have now named Keith Dowbekin, also known as Keith Black and Keith Broadbent, as the suspect. Dowbekin died in 2014 at age 60. Detective Chief Inspector Simon Dunn said: 'If he had been alive today, we would have sought authority from the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute him for Jennifer’s murder.'
Dowbekin had been arrested by Norfolk Police in 2003 and 2004 for two separate rapes in Great Yarmouth, but DNA was not taken at the time as he was not charged. He was also stopped at the Port of Dover in 2005 for a check related to Kiely's murder, but officers did not see his previous arrests. In 2018, police employed familial DNA strategies not available in 2005, eventually narrowing down thousands of names to Dowbekin's relatives.
Jennifer's family paid tribute: 'Our mum was more than her struggles. She was a gentle, funny and creative soul who loved music and cared deeply for others, even when life was hard.' Sussex Police cited overwhelming public interest and the severity of the crime in their decision to name Dowbekin publicly.
