The family of a teenage Girl Scout fatally stabbed in an east
London park have made a desperate appeal for witnesses, as
Police confirmed the attack was entirely random and unprovoked.
Jodie Chesney, 17, was killed as she sat listening to music and chatting with her boyfriend and a group of friends near a children's playground in a park in Harold Hill, Romford on Friday evening.
The Metropolitan Police said the teenagers had been aware of two men in the park who left at around 9pm without interacting with them.
The force added in a statement: "Around 30 minutes later the pair returned to the park and walked straight towards the group, where one of the males stabbed Jodie once in the back. Nothing was said by the two suspects, who ran off in the direction of Retford Road.
"The suspect who attacked Jodie is described as a black male aged in his late teens. There is no further description of him at this stage, nor is there any description of the other male."
Lucy Elkin, 18, a friend, told the Telegraph: "It was completely unprovoked, they didn't even look her in the eye."
She added: “She was the child every parent dreamed of having. It shouldn't happen to people like her.”
Dave Chesney, Jodie’s uncle, told ITV News: “We are all devastated.
“This was a totally random and unprovoked attack on a beautiful, lovely and quirky young girl with her whole life in front of her.”
Mr Chesney is the older brother of Jodie's father Peter, who was celebrating his birthday on the day the teen was killed.
He added: “We value your support and prayers at this time, especially for our brother Pete, his wife Jo and Jodie’s sister Lucy.”
Jodie’s mother visited the scene to lay flowers on Sunday and was comforted by friends.
A card left on behalf of Jodie’s boyfriend, Eddie Coyle, who called for help and stroked her hair as she lay dying, was attached to nearby railings. It said: “Jodie, you are the best thing that could have happened in my life. I will love you always and you will forever be in my heart, beautiful. Eddie-bear.”
A group of friends from Barking & Dagenham Scouts also stopped at the park, and left a Scout neckerchief at the base of the tree.
In a statement, the troop said of Jodie: "During her time in Scouting she blossomed into an amazing young woman.
"She always had a smile on her face, supporting the younger members where she could. She was funny, intelligent and a joy to work with.”
No arrests have yet been made in connection with the attack.
Teresa Farenden, 49, a mother-of-three whose house faces the park, was the first at the scene and performed CPR as they waited for paramedics.
She said: “I was in the kitchen and I heard a scream outside, and I just got this gut feeling.
“I went outside before I even had my coat on properly and asked whether everything was alright, and a young boy said: ‘My girlfriend’s just been stabbed.’
“My stomach dropped. All I could think of was to help. I was trying to keep her in the recovery position, but by the time the police got here she had gone.
“This needs to stop. There’s too many young lives being lost.”