Dog walker murdered in the woods, say police

Police "strongly believe" a murder victim was assaulted in the same woodland where his body was later discovered.

Graham Pennycook, 64,was reported missing when his dog came home without him after he had left home on 24 September for a walk close to Perham Down in the Wiltshire town of Ludgershall.

Wiltshire Police said his body was discovered in the woods later that day and a murder investigation was launched by its Major Crime Investigation Team.

Detectives have appealed for information or dashcam footage from between 09:00 BST and 18:00 BST on the day Pennycook went missing, but "more specifically" 10:00 to 11:00 BST.

Police said a cordon and large police presence remains in place at the scene, and is likely to last into the weekend.

The force said Pennycook left home at about 10:00 BST, and was later reported missing by his wife at 15:41 BST after his dog came back without him.

His body was recovered later that afternoon at about 17:41 BST, near the polo field close to Perham Down, police said.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had sustained "injuries consistent with an assault".

At a press conference held earlier, Det Ch Insp Phil Walker said officers had been "working tirelessly" to establish the circumstances surrounding Pennycook's death.

"Two weeks ago today, Graham was out walking a familiar route to him with his dog," he said.

"But tragically he never returned home and was found deceased in woodland.

"Due to the nature of Graham's injuries, which came to light as a result of the forensic post mortem, we strongly believe that he was assaulted within the woodland near to the polo ground."

Based on where his body was found, Pennycook was about 40-45 minutes into his "regular" route, making the timeframe between 10:00 and 11:00 BST "really crucial".

Detectives are urging the public to think about whether they noticed anybody acting suspiciously that day, or someone they knew came home with unexplained injuries, changed their plans or got rid of clothing.

"Every piece of information, regardless of how small or insignificant it may seem to you, could be crucial to our investigation and finding out exactly what happened to Graham," Det Ch Insp Walker continued.

Police said the victim's family are being supported by specialist officers.

His wife Jacky has described Pennycook as a "kind and generous" man with a cheeky grin, who "enriched the lives of everyone he met".

"He was a pillar of strength, trusted by all and always on hand to help family and friends whenever needed," she added.

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