The disturbing case of a mother who was found dead in her Lincolnshire home remains unsolved to this day. Julie Pacey, 38, was found dead in her bathroom by her 14-year-old daughter when she got home from school.
The mum-of-two had been strangled to death with a cord and sexually assaulted in September 1994 at her home on Longcliffe Road, Grantham. Julie lived with her plumber husband of 18 years Andrew and their two children, 14-year-old Helen and 11-year-old Matthew. Andrew described his wife as someone who “got on with everyone” and “lived for the family”.
While Julie’s killer remains unknown, as well as why she was targeted in the first place, there has been one prime suspect throughout the case known as ‘Overalls Man’. This man, who was wearing blue overalls and described as having a red face, was seen leaving Julie’s home three days before the murder. He was seen by numerous witnesses in the vicinity of her home in the days around the murder and police found out he had been asking people in the area for directions.
Lincolnshire Police were also interested in any details regarding a blue BMW, possibly a 5 series, that was supposedly seen parked on the driveway of the family home, next to Julie’s Audi, around the time of the murder. In addition, they sought information regarding a Luc Desroches watch that was noticed to be missing from the property.
Police sketch of the prime suspect in the Julie Pacey murder
(Image: Police handout)
In 2015, police obtained a DNA profile which they hoped may identify her killer. Advances in DNA technology meant a nearly complete profile of an individual had been extracted from evidence found at the scene. However, the DNA did not match anyone in the police’s database.
A man named Steve Watson answered a BBC advert for someone to play the killer of Julie in the 1994 reconstruction. Steve, then aged 31, bore an uncanny resemblance to the police sketch of the wanted ‘Overalls Man’ and decided to volunteer.
The original appeal was re-shown on Crimewatch in July 2015 after the DNA breakthrough in the case – and Steve’s part was replayed. Within hours of the BBC broadcast, people had rung up the police mistakenly accusing Steve of being the killer. Detectives demanded a DNA test from him as a potential suspect, but no further action was taken and the unsolved case continues.
Lincolnshire Police confirmed that the case remains open but there are no updates to provide.