A serving Surrey Police Detective has been found murdered in woodland near her home in Haslemere, Surrey. Mother of two, Heather Cooper, who only gave birth to a baby girl last month, and was posted with Guildford CID, is suspected to have been murdered by her partner, 35-year-old Peter Foster, who was also a detective with Surrey Police until he left the force after more than five years service.Foster is believed to have been having trouble coming to terms with the death of his father in Sierra Leone, but had still managed to start-up a plumbing and heating company from his home address in West Street, Haslemere since leaving the Police some time ago.
Following a call to Police from a concerned family member on Sunday evening officers attended the home of the family and later went to Blackdown Woods near Lurgashall, where a search of the woodland led to the discovery of the body of a woman in her 30s believed to be that of Cooper. The way the woman was killed or the location of the morder is not yet known. A post-mortem examination is expected to be carried out today at Guildford’s Royal Surrey County Hospital.
Peter Foster remains in custody tonight and enquiries, both at the scene where the body was discovered and at the home address, continue at this time. This murder will be investigated by the newly formed Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team. Surrey Police have published very little information at this time and the dead woman has still not been named on their website.
*** Update – 16:00hrs 18/10/11 ***
A spokesperson for Surrey Police said:
Officers are keen to hear from anyone who may have seen a silver BMW estate in the area of West Street, Haslemere, and Tennyson’s Lane near the Blackdown Woods car park between the hours of 11am and 11pm on Sunday, 16 October.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick May, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said:
We are continuing work to build up a picture of events on Sunday and I am urging anyone who may have seen this vehicle during that day in these locations to contact police.
Your information could prove vital.
Officers have now been granted a further 36 hours to question the suspect.
Anyone with more information on this story (that will not prejudice the investigation) that might be of interest to my readers can contact me in confidence using the usual email address.
Please note that there is a Detective Inspector working within Surrey Police who is also called Peter Foster – this officer is not believed to be linked to the murder investigation.
