Police launch homicide probe ‘with no physique’ after girl, 54, goes lacking for weeks from quiet village – as officers arrest man in connection together with her disappearance

Police have launched a ‘no-body’ murder investigation after a 54-year-old woman went missing from her quiet Cambridgeshire village last month.  

Julie Buckley, from the village of Christchurch, has not been seen since late January.

It is thought she is ‘likely to have come to serious harm’, according to Cambridgeshire Police, who are ‘concerned enough about her welfare to treat her disappearance as a murder’. 

A 47-year-old man from Christchurch remains under arrest on suspicion of murder but police are yet to find Ms Buckley’s body.

The case was declared a no-body murder investigation yesterday by detectives from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit. 

It comes as they sealed off two bungalows eight miles apart yesterday – Ms Buckley’s home in Christchurch and another in nearby market town March – for searching, with police presence remaining outside both. 

Police first focussed on her home after ‘concern was raised’ on Thursday night that Ms Buckley had not been seen there in more than two weeks. They also searched the property on Grounds Avenue in March. 

Officers are appealing for information, especially anyone in nearby March, the village of Manea or market town Chatteris, where Ms Buckley has links. 

Julie Buckley (pictured), 54, from the village of Christchurch, Cambridgeshire, has not been seen since late January

Officers sealed off two bungalows eight miles apart – Ms Buckley’s home in Christchurch and another in nearby market town March – for searching, with police presence remaining outside both

Police first focussed on her home yesterday after ‘concern was raised’ on Thursday night that Ms Buckley had not been seen there in more than two weeks

Cambridgeshire Police have been and will continue to search for Ms Buckley and make inquiries to determine the circumstances of her disappearance – but ‘so far to no avail’. 

Detective Inspector Richard Stott said: ‘We are trying to piece together Julie’s movements before she disappeared so I would appeal for anyone who has seen her in the past few weeks to get in touch.

‘We know she has links to places in the surrounding area including March, Manea and Chatteris so I would urge people who live in those areas to consider if they have information that could be of use to our inquiry.

‘We are in touch with family of Julie and specially trained officers are keeping them up to date on the police inquiry at this very difficult time.

‘Although we have always wanted to find Julie alive, the circumstances suggest she is likely to have come to serious harm, so we continue to treat her disappearance as murder.’

The officer added: ‘Concern was raised for the woman on Thursday night and due to the length of time since she was last seen and concerns that she may have come to some harm, we are treating this as a murder investigation.’  

Anyone with information is directed to contact the Cambridgeshire Police’s investigation team via its dedicated portal. 

Those without internet access should call 101 and quote Operation Dragonfish.