Remains of Julie Buckley confirmed in field; killer’s legal team led to burial site

A body found in a field in the Cambridgeshire village of Wimblington has been identified as Julie Buckley, a 55-year-old woman who had been missing since late January. Cambridgeshire Police said on Friday that the remains had been confirmed as Buckley following a post-mortem examination. The confirmation comes after detectives previously linked Buckley’s disappearance to a homicide investigation surrounding her neighbour, Karl Hutchings, who has admitted killing her, though Buckley’s body had not been located until the field was excavated.

Buckley was last seen alive on January 28 after being recorded on CCTV buying groceries at a Budgens store in the nearby village of March. Police had earlier found blood at her bungalow in Christchurch, near Wisbech, on February 13 and said the subsequent forensic work linked the blood to Buckley. Investigators have said the disappearance prompted a major search and inquiries in the weeks that followed as they pursued the possibility that she had come to serious harm.

Detectives believe Buckley was killed in the period between January 20 and January 31. In the wake of her disappearance, investigators said Hutchings used Buckley’s bank cards and sold some of her possessions. He was charged on February 16 with murdering Buckley; he later pleaded guilty to the murder. A post-plea review and successful admission of guilt led to a scheduled sentencing date later this year. The police have emphasized that Buckley’s family has been informed and is receiving support from specially trained officers during this difficult time.

The investigation has included searches of the area around Christchurch and in the Bedlam Bridge and Boots Bridge zones along the Sixteen Foot Bank drainage channel. Dive teams had scoured the water, and a fisherman had found hair in the water that authorities said did not belong to Buckley, according to the police timeline. The force has continued to appeal for any dashcam footage or sightings from January 29 and 30 in the March and Christchurch areas to help corroborate the timeline.

Karl Hutchings, who is connected to the case as Buckley’s neighbour, initially told investigators he had no involvement in her disappearance. He later admitted murdering Buckley and changed his plea to guilty on September 16. He is due to be sentenced on October 24. In a statement after the plea change, senior investigators said they hoped Hutchings would provide more information about the location of Buckley’s body to enable her family to lay her to rest with dignity. Police said two additional people, a 49-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman from Christchurch, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender; they remain on bail as the investigation continues.

The discovery of Buckley’s remains closes a chapter in a case that drew significant local and national attention, highlighting the role of investigative information provided by the suspect’s legal representation in guiding police actions. Authorities stressed that the ongoing process would continue to prioritize the welfare of Buckley’s relatives as the inquiry proceeds toward resolution.