The teenager from Colchester, initially arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon in the Salary Brook Trail on Tuesday was charged this evening.
Detectives investigating the deaths of James Attfield and Nahid Almanea have tonight charged a 16-year-old boy from Colchester with their murders.
The youth has been remanded in custody to appear before Chelmsford Magistrates Court at 10am on Saturday May 30.
He was arrested on the Salary Brook Trail, in Colchester, just after 11am on Tuesday, May 26, on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon.
Following enquiries by detectives he was further arrested on suspicion of last year’s murders of Mr Attfield and Ms Almanea.
Detective Chief Superintendent Steve Worron, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: “We have received excellent backing throughout the investigations into both James and Nahid’s deaths from the whole community in Colchester and I would like to thank them all again for their continued support.
“We are continuing our enquiries and if anyone believes they have any information relating to either James or Nahid’s deaths I would ask them to contact us as soon as possible.”
Mr Attfield, a father of five, was murdered in March last year. The 33-year-old, also known as Jim, was found on the Riverside Path in Colchester in the early hours of Saturday, March 29, with more than 100 stab wounds to his body.
Ms Almanea, a student at the University of Essex, was murdered on Tuesday, June 17, 2014 on the Salary Brook Trail in Colchester as she walked from her student accommodation in nearby Woodrow Way to the university complex in Wivenhoe.
The 31-year-old is believed to have been attacked at around 10.40am and died as a result of stab wounds.
The arrest of the 16-year-old was the first made in connection with Ms Almanea’s murder. Several people were arrested and released without charge in connection with Mr Attfield’s murder.
Anyone that can help is asked to call Essex Police on 101 or call independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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