Student murder a mystery - police

Detectives have said they are baffled by the brutal murder of a popular young gap-year student.

Marsha McDonnell, 19, was clubbed three times over the head with a blunt instrument, possibly a hammer, just yards from her home.

She had been to watch Leonardo di Caprio's film Catch Me If You Can with friends and was on her way back to her parents' home in Priory Road, Hampton, south west London, when she was attacked from behind after midnight in the early hours of Tuesday.

Detective Chief Superintendent Dave Cook said nothing had been stolen from her and there was no evidence of a sexual assault.

He said: "The motive is a complete mystery. We don't know what it was.

"It wasn't a frenzied attack, there were quite deliberate blows to the head.

"Early indications are that she was attacked from behind and she was struck three times on the head.

"We are not quite sure what the blunt instrument was and there are further forensic tests going on."

Mr Cook said officers had already looked into the teenager's private life and did not believe her murder was linked to that.

There was also no evidence that she had been followed home after getting off a bus minutes earlier, he said.

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