Man, 47, denies murder of woman who is missing and feared dead
A man has denied the murder of a woman who is missing and feared dead and is facing a trial later this year.
Karl Hutchings, 47, pleaded not guilty to the charge of murdering 54-year-old Julie Buckley when he appeared before Cambridge Crown Court on Wednesday.
Ms Buckley, from the village of Christchurch in Cambridgeshire, has not been seen since late January.
Cambridgeshire Police said she was last seen on CCTV footage at a Budgens supermarket in the nearby town of March on January 28.
The force declared the case a no-body murder investigation last month.
Hutchings, also of Christchurch in Cambridgeshire, spoke to confirm his name and to enter his plea of not guilty.
The bearded defendant appeared via video-link from Peterborough prison where he listened to proceedings while sat at a desk and wearing a dark long-sleeved top.
He requested to go to the toilet, just as the charge was about to be put to him, and gave his plea before leaving the video-link room to use the facilities after he was granted permission.
In the charge that was put to him, it was said that he murdered Ms Buckley between January 20 and January 31 of this year.
Judge Mark Bishop remanded Hutchings in custody until September 29 when he is due to stand trial at the same court.
A time estimate of four weeks was given for the trial.
Detective Inspector Rich Stott, of Cambridgeshire Police, previously said that officers “strongly believe” that Ms Buckley “may have come to harm” and that they were carrying out searches.
“Our dive teams have been searching the water around the Bedlam Bridge and Boots Bridge areas and a fisherman discovered what we believe to be human hair in the water,” he said.
“We’re awaiting results from that hair to ascertain if it belongs to Julie.”
He appealed to dog walkers, fishermen, farmers and landowners in the area to report any disturbed land or anything that looks unusual or out of place.
He also urged anyone with information or with dashcam footage from the March and Christchurch areas, particularly around Bedlam Bridge and Boots Bridge, on January 29 and 30 to get in touch.
Anyone with information is urged to get in touch with police on 101 and quoting Op Dragonfish.
