Alert as second jogger attacked

A woman jogger has been attacked in a park yards from where American artist Margaret Muller was killed.

Scotland Yard today released an e-fit of the attacker and made an urgent appeal for information to trace him.

Detectives investigating the attack on Ms Muller say the development is "highly significant" and pointed to remarkable similarities between the new assault and the unsolved murder.

In the latest incident a woman was attacked from behind on 2 September as she jogged near the rose garden in Victoria Park, Hackney, where Ms Muller was stabbed to death.

The assault happened at about 8am, the same time as Ms Muller was murdered. The latest victim is of similar build to the American and, at 27, the same age.

Detective Chief Inspector Ron Scott, who is in charge of Muller case, said:

"The time of day and the geographical location have raised our concerns that this attacker may be the same as the man who murdered Margaret Muller.

"It is also almost seven months to the day of the murder. There is also the ease with which this man managed to disappear from the park.

"The murderer of Miss Muller managed to slip out of the park, seemingly unnoticed. Even if this man is not our murderer he needs to be apprehended because this was a persistent attack. If he had not been disturbed by a member of the public then I believe the consequences for the jogger could have been far worse."

Mr Scott described the suspected attacker as Asian, aged between 17 and 23, with black collar-length hair, a pockmarked face and a lisp. He was wearing a hooded tracksuit top and sandals.

Mr Scott, who emphasised that the Muller case is still fully manned by as many as 50 officers, added: "It has always been my belief that a member of the community, a mother or a father, someone in the health or education system, is harbouring a name for some reason.

"I think someone knows who killed Margaret Muller but is not coming forward."

Anyone with information is urged to ring the incident room on 020 8345 1594 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.