MAASAI MARA — 1988 · Unsolved Case
Murder of Julie Ward
British photographer Julie Ward set off alone for a camp in Kenya's Maasai Mara reserve in September 1988 after her vehicle broke down, and was never seen alive again. Her father, John Ward, flew to Kenya to search for her and found her remains on 13 September. Kenyan officials first claimed she had been killed by wild animals and lightning, but forensic examinations commissioned by her father proved she had been murdered. Two park rangers were tried and acquitted in 1992, and a park official was acquitted in 1999. A British inquest returned an unlawful killing verdict in 2004. John Ward campaigned for more than 30 years and died in 2023; the case remains unsolved.
- Date
- 1988
- Place
- Narok, Kenya, Maasai Mara, KE
- Category
- Unsolved Case
- Case Status
- Unsolved
- Coordinates
- -1.5000, 35.1500 ↗
Timeline of Events
- September 1988Julie Ward was last seen in the Maasai Mara.
- 13 September 1988Her father found her remains in the reserve.
- 1992Two park rangers were tried and acquitted.
- 1999A park official was tried and acquitted.
- 2004A British inquest returned a verdict of unlawful killing.
- June 2023John Ward died with the case unsolved.
Sources
- The Guardian — Julie Ward death inquiry reopened theguardian.com ↗
- BBC News — Julie Ward's father dies bbc.com ↗
- Wikipedia — Murder of Julie Ward en.wikipedia.org ↗
- The Guardian
- BBC News
- The Telegraph
Source grade A: several independent sources, at least one an official record or reference work. If you spot a mistake or something missing, report it with "Suggest a correction" in the app.
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🕯️ This record was prepared with respect, in memory of those who lost their lives.