Death on the Seafront: The Lea Williams Murder | Ep. 239

About this episode

This episode explores the murder of Lea Williams, a man found dead on the Hove seafront in 2013, raising questions about violence against rough sleepers.

On a cold February evening in 2013, volunteers carrying out outreach work along the seafront in Hove made a discovery that would shock the local community. What first appeared to be someone settling down for the night beneath a duvet in a row of seafront arches quickly turned into something far more serious. As police began their investigation near Hove Pitch and Putt, it became clear this was no accident or simple altercation, but a brutal and deliberate attack. In this episode of British Murders with Stuart Blues , I explore the murder of Lea Williams, a 45-year-old man with no fixed abode who had been living along the Hove seafront. Known to local outreach workers and others in the area, Lea was described as kind, generous, and someone trying to rebuild his life despite struggles with alcohol. Just weeks before his death, he had been saving money in the hope of moving into a flat and starting fresh. This case, often referred to as the “Hove seafront murder” or “bat caves murder”, led to a major investigation by Sussex Police, involving forensic searches, witness appeals, and multiple arrests. As the story unfolds, it raises difficult questions about vulnerability, violence…

People in this episode

Host: Stuart Blues

Topics covered

• murder
• true crime
• vulnerability
• violence
• outreach work

Keywords

• Lea Williams
• Hove seafront murder
• true crime
• Sussex Police
• vulnerability

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sussex Police

Places: Hove, Hove seafront

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