Lantern release organised in memory of man stabbed to death in Swindon field

A lantern release has been organised in memory of a young man who was stabbed to death Swindon on Sunday afternoon (10 October).

The 33-year-old, named locally as Lee Turner, suffered a single knife wound in an attack at The Venny, a green space between Gorse Hill and Pinehurst.

The broad daylight murder took place near May Close at around 2.15pm, with those who desprately tried to save his life unsuccessful in their attempts.

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A lartern release and candle lighting event has been arranged to take place at Coate Water Country Park, off Marlborough Road, at 6.30pm on Saturday (16 October).

‘He was like a big brother to me, always there when I needed him’, organiser Alex Norris-Glendinning told Wiltshire 999s.

Adding: ‘I want to do this event because he was a good kind person and no-one deserves to leave this world like that.’

READ MORE ON THIS STORY:

• Swindon murder: Man stabbed to death in broad daylight attack on playing fields
• Murder squad hunt killers as man knifed to death in Swindon field named locally

In a public statement issued to media at the scene, Chief Inspector Nick Mawson, of Wiltshire Police, said: “First and foremost, our thoughts are with the family and friends of the victim at this difficult time and we have dedicated officers in place to provide the support they need.

“Yesterday, in broad daylight, the victim, a 33-year-old local man was stabbed, suffering a single-knife wound which led to him sadly losing his life at the scene.

“We understand the concern and distress this will cause to people in Swindon, along with the ongoing investigation into the shooting in Toothill on Saturday evening.

“We would like to reassure them that we do not believe there to be a wider threat to the public and we have increased our patrols of the area to provide reassurance.

“This is now a murder enquiry and we are continuing our thorough and detailed enquiries at a rapid pace to ensure those responsible are brought to justice, including speaking to witnesses, looking at CCTV and exploring all forensic opportunities.

“We are running a major incident room at Gablecross Police Station and urge anyone with information, including CCTV from the area, to call us immediately on 101 or, if you don’t want to be identified, call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“We have been and will continue to work closely with our partners and the local community to protect the public and target those intent on causing harm and make it clear that this behaviour is totally unacceptable.”