In the quiet winter of early 1996, the coastal town of Hastings, East Sussex, England, was shaken by a brutal killing that remains unsolved nearly three decades later. On the morning of January 31st, 1996, the body of twenty-seven-year-old Robert Jones—known to friends and family as Bobby—was discovered in Alexandra Park. He had been stabbed and beaten to death in what appeared to be a ferocious attack.
Bobby Jones, a resident of Rock Lane in the Ore area of Hastings, was found on a grassy bank at the edge of the park. A knife wound to the neck was among the fatal injuries, pointing to a violent and personal confrontation. An inquest held later that year (in August 1996) heard evidence that Bobby had told friends the night before his death that he was heading to the park to meet individuals who would supply him with drugs.
The case quickly drew attention from Sussex Police. Detectives made several arrests during the investigation, but despite these detentions, there was insufficient evidence to bring charges against anyone. The lack of conclusive forensic material or witness testimony meant the trail soon went cold.
Contemporary reports described Bobby as a known figure in certain circles in Hastings, with connections to the local drug scene. While this context provided investigators with potential lines of inquiry, it also complicated the case, as such networks often operate in secrecy and with little cooperation from witnesses.
The murder received national coverage, including a feature on the BBC’s Crimewatch UK program in March 1996. The segment aimed to generate fresh leads from the public, but no breakthrough followed.
In the ensuing years, the case was occasionally revisited. In 2000, Sussex Police included it in a review of several long-standing unsolved murders across the county, though officials noted it would receive only a cursory re-examination due to the limited forensic opportunities available at the time. By 2006, Bobby’s family reportedly offered a £10,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.
Almost thirty years on, the murder of Bobby Jones remains one of Hastings’ unresolved cases. It stands alongside other high-profile unsolved killings in the town, such as the 1997 murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins (which occurred in the same Alexandra Park area, albeit in a different section of the town).
No further public updates have identified a suspect or produced charges in Bobby Jones’ death.
Crime Immemorial 