Murder police urged neighbours to keep watch over elderly

Up to then, the vicious attack on Julie Davison had left officers baffled. During the post-mortem examination, however, the pathologist mentioned to North Yorkshire Police detective superintendent Steve Smith it was the second brutal killing he had been involved in that week.

The following day, Det Supt Smith contacted his counterparts in Cleveland Police and it was decided to launch a public manhunt for Allen – one of the largest in decades.

“We thought we know he is the main suspect, we cannot afford to be investigating another murder linked to this man,” Det Supt Smith said.

Hundreds of officers were drafted in to search.

Residents across the region were urged by detectives to lock their doors and windows as well as to keep an eye on elderly neighbours.

Investigating officers admit they were particularly concerned at the random targeting of Julie Davison, and that Allen would still be on the look-out for the opportunity to attack vulnerable residents in their homes.

“He was definitely willing to steal and or rob as he had done before and, for whatever reason, to use that level of violence again,” Det Supt Smith said.

“The injuries and the number of injuries were beyond anything I have seen before.

“It was a very sustained, repeated and violent attack focused on Julie’s head and neck.”

And he added: “It was a big relief once he had been caught without hurting anybody else.

“I don’t want to give him any more notoriety than he has 
already brought upon himself, 
but his actions speak for themselves.

“God only knows what goes through somebody’s mind when they are killing people in such a fashion.”