Naman Shrestha
When a few pedestrians discovered the semi-clothed body of Dawn Walker on the side of the road in the first week of February 2005, they were horrified and called the authorities, who determined she had been murdered. The episode of ‘Deadliest Lovers’ titled ‘Rejection, Revenge…And Murder’ delves deep into the complicated case of Dawn and the police investigation that ensued, following the tragedy. Consisting of interviews with the victim’s loved ones and statements by law enforcement officials, the episode gives us a detailed account of the entire case, revealing the identity of the killer and the aftermath of his apprehension.
How Did Dawn Walker Die?
The beloved daughter of Jean Walker, Dawn Walker was a resident of Fornham St. Martin in the West Suffolk district of Suffolk County in the eastern part of England. She shared a close-knit bond with her mother and sisters — Kirsty and Sheena Van Oevelen — who loved her dearly. A woman’s woman, Dawn greeted everyone she met with a bright smile that could lighten up the room. She was a fitness enthusiast, and her sturdiness, flexibility, and endurance enabled her to engage in the physically demanding sport of rock climbing from time to time.
To satiate her intense zeal for living life to its fullest, Dawn traveled to multiple locations across the world and also partook in adrenaline-inducing activities like scuba diving. Due to her free-spirited, kind-hearted, and outgoing nature, she had a lot of friends with whom she hung out in her downtime. At the time of the incident, the 37-year-old was working at a local printing firm. Her employer described her as a hard worker who was also popular among her colleagues.
With such a strong personality, Dawn could take anyone who tried to hurt her down, which is why her loved ones were in absolute shock and disbelief when they learned that they had lost her in such a brutal manner. The night of February 2, 2005, is when she was last spotted at her residence in Oak Close. When Dawn didn’t turn up at work on two consecutive days, her loved ones began to get worried, and a missing report was filed on February 4. Around 5 pm on the same day, Dawn was found dead by a woman and her daughter on a footpath next to the River Lark close to Bury St Edmunds, just a few miles from her home.
As per reports, Dawn’s body was discovered in a partially clothed state; she had been burned severely and put through “abusive and vindictive acts of degradation;” hair from her body parts had been shaved, and there were signs that indicated she was moved and immersed in water at some point. Though the medical examiners found traces of sperm on her body, it didn’t yield any result due to a lack of technological advancement at the time. With no conclusive cause of death or immediate evidence in sight, the authorities set up a team of officers and launched an investigation to find the one/s responsible for Dawn Walker’s murder.
Who Killed Dawn Walker?
Dawn Walker was reportedly last seen alive at her house in Fornham’s Oak Close on the night of February 2, 2005, with her boyfriend, Kevin Nunn, with whom she had recently broken up. Thus, the investigators lay their suspicion on him for obvious reasons. Reported missing on February 4, Dawn had been in a romantic relationship with Kevin for over two years before calling it quits owing to his demeanor; it was alleged that he was a jealous person, which was in full display when he used to follow her when she was out and spy on her from his car when she was at home.
To make matters worse, Kevin allegedly also checked Dawn’s phone, questioned her whereabouts and whom she met, and had a duplicate key to her house in order to gain access when she wasn’t home. Given his controlling nature, Dawn decided to break up with him and rekindle her relationship with an old flame. This allegedly sparked a raging reaction from Kevin, and there were reports of them arguing outside her house at around 10 pm on February 2, 2005.
The prosecutors claimed that Kevin killed her in a fit of rage that very night or in the early hours of the following morning. He didn’t stop there as he took the 37-year-old’s body to Duck Sluice Farm in Fornham Park, Bury St Edmunds, and taped it to railings and doused her in petrol, before setting the deceased on fire, which caused 95% burns to the surface. After that, Kevin reportedly disposed of her body close to a footpath near the River Lark in Fornham Park, where it was discovered on February 4, around 5 in the evening. About a month later, Kevin Nunn was charged with the murder of his former girlfriend.
Kevin Nunn is Behind Bars Today
The trial of Kevin Nunn for the murder of Dawn Walker began in 2006 and lasted for six long weeks, during which the defense put forward several arguments against the prosecutors. The defense claimed that the semen samples found on Dawn’s body could not be Kevin’s as he had undergone a vasectomy. Moreover, Kevin even claimed that the real perpetrator must be another man with whom Dawn was involved in a relationship. Despite all the arguments presented in the court of law, in November 2006, the jury sentenced the 53-year-old to a minimum of 22 years of prison time for murdering Dawn Walker in 2005.
Right outside the court, the victim’s mother, Jean, had quite a few statements to pass regarding the case. She said, “The murder of my daughter was a great shock which will remain with us for the rest of our lives. Our case has finally been heard after a delay of 10 months and Kevin Nunn has been found guilty. It was a horrific murder and he has shown himself to be a vindictive, deceitful, and evil man who has clearly been a danger to unsuspecting women.” In May 2012, Kevin Nunn appealed to have the case reopened, and in the following months, the convicted’s family members asked the Supreme Court to allow evidence retests, but only to have their requests rejected.
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