Killer gave police map where homeless woman was buried, court hears

Known as the ‘no body murder’, Julie Buckley was killed by Karl Hutchings in 2025

A murderer gave police a map showing where a woman was buried after months of no body being found, a court has heard. Known as the “no body murder”, a murder investigation was launched into Julie Buckley, 55, after she went missing in January 2025.

Karl Hutchings, 48, admitted to killing Julie on September 15, 2025. Her body wasn’t found for months.

However, her remains were later found in 10 pieces in a shallow grave in Wimblington after Hutchings told police, prosecutor Christine Agnew KC said at Cambridge Crown Court today (Monday, July 6).

After Hutchings admitted to the killing, he provided police with a map of where her body was. The prosecutor said Julie and Hutchings had been “friends who had spent some time together – they were both addicted to class A drugs”.

Buckley, who had been staying with Hutchings at his home in Christchurch, was last seen alive on CCTV footage at a Budgens supermarket in March on January 28. Concerns were raised for her welfare after she failed to attend appointments.

Ms Agnew told the court it appeared Julie had been murdered between January 29 and the morning of January 30. The prosecutor added that Julie’s phone was used on January 29.

She added that at 8.41am on January 30, Hutchings attended a One Stop shop and used Julie’s bank card to buy alcohol. The prosecutor added that he later sold Julie’s car for £500.

Hutchings, who initially denied murder, told a teacher at HMP Peterborough that he had “waited it out” before pleading guilty as he “hoped he could be dealt with on a diminished basis”, added the prosecutor.

Hutchings also told the teacher he killed Julie “because she had been stealing from him and had tried to convince him he was mad”. The prosecutor then said Hutchings told the teacher he hit Julie with a hammer to her head which “made her woozy”.

Ms Agnew added: “He hit her over the head again which finished her off”. A post-mortem confirmed Julie suffered 11 blows to her skull.

Hutchings was arrested on February 13, 2025 and “extensive blood staining” was found on a sofa at his home, part of the living room carpet was missing and there were burnt items in the garden.

Alison Summers, defence for Hutchings, said he had a “long history of mental health problems and significant drug addiction”. She said Julie had been homeless and Hutchings “felt sorry for her”, so he offered her a place to stay.

She added that the “precise trigger and exact sequence (of what happened) may never be known with any degree of certainty”. However, the defence said it was “likely to have started spontaneously when Hutchings lost it and began striking Ms Buckley”.

Ms Summers said Hutchings had been released from a psychiatric unit less than three months before the murder. She added that he pleaded guilty after he was advised that a psychiatric report did not support a medical defence of diminished responsibility.

Judge Mark Bishop adjourned the case to Thursday (July 9) where Hutchings will be sentenced.