Janine Downes

Status:

Open

Offense Location:

Wolverhampton, England

Summary:

Janine Downes was a 22-year-old mother of three whose body was concealed by a small hedge near Lambert's Restaurant on the A464 Shifnal to Wolverhampton road in 1991. Following her death, a post-mortem examination showed she was strangled and had extensive head wounds. Despite a continuous and full investigation and a number of arrests no-one has been convicted for her murder.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Offense:

On the 2nd of February, 1991, Janine Downes (22), was last seen in Wolverhampton's red light district. Earlier that day she had told friends she planned to leave for London that night, but first needed to earn money for her fare. Earlier in the evening, she had briefly called into The Harp pub in Walsall Street with a friend, but didn't hang around for long. The body of Miss Downes, who had worked as a prostitute, was found just before 9.30am on February 2, 1991. Janine had been strangled, sexually assaulted, and had extensive head injuries. The bottom half of her clothing and her trainers were missing. A West Mercia Police pathologist estimated that her body had been left there between midnight and 4am.

Additional Details:

Miss Downes was said to be from a broken home and was in and out of care homes and turned to prostitution out of desperation. Her father, a 72-year-old father of four, said his daughter sold her body to feed her three young children. He said she would have been 44 years old if she had still been alive and would now be a grandmother. Mr Downes revealed how his daughter had promised him that she had stopped working as a prostitute and apologised for not getting in touch but she feared he was angry with her. Her last known movements were in Wolverhampton's red light district and detectives believed that Janine had been killed by a client. Just months before Janine's murder, her friend and fellow sex worker, Gail Whitehouse had been murdered and her body had been found in bushes. Despite a continuous and full investigation and a number of arrests, nobody has been charged with her murder. Evidence from the time is being re-examined using the most modern forensic techniques, some of which were not available at the time of the murder.

Case Last Updated:

Sep 27, 2026