THE mother of a murdered teenager has spoken of her longing to keep the memory of her daughter alive, almost a decade after her death.
Jayden Parkinson, 17, from Didcot, was murdered by her boyfriend in 2013. Ben Blakeley, then 22, strangled the girl in open countryside south of Didcot after she told him about her pregnancy.
Jayden's mum Samantha Shrewsbury, recalled the tragedy as she thanked a well-wisher for running Sunday's Oxford half marathon in memory of her daughter.
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Animal rescue charity worker Joanna Hopkins chose to complete the run in tribute to Jayden as her own daughter had also been a victim of domestic violence.
Runner Mrs Hopkins learned about the murder from a documentary – When Missing Turns to Murder – and approached Ms Shrewsbury to find out how she could help.
Ms Shrewsbury, was at the finish line in Oxford's University Parks to support Mrs Hopkins. She said: "I feel honoured that someone would go our of their way to do something like this in Jayden's name."
Mrs Hopkins will also run the Brighton Marathon next year in memory of Jayden.
Mrs Shrewsbury said: "It's 26 miles – and Jayden would have been 26 this September just gone. If anybody would like to donate, we are raising money for a charity called 'Safe'."
Speaking before the event, Mrs Hopkins said: "have been through a similar thing with my own daughter, who was in a relationship with a violent man.
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"One night he almost killed her by strangling her and throwing her down the stairs. How she survived was a miracle. He left her for dead.
"This happened not long before the documentary about Jayden came out. I reached out to Samantha to say thank you for airing it, and we got talking.
"I asked how I could help. I told her I didn't have any money but I do a lot of awareness raising through running, so maybe I could do that for her."
The charity 'Safe' provides support to children and families around the Thames Valley who have been affected by crime or abuse.
Jayden's killer, Blakeley, was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2014, serving a minimum of 20-years.
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The former binman had strangled the teenager and buried her body in the grave of his uncle Alan Kennedy, in a cemetery near All Saint's Church in Didcot.
He returned a few days later to stuff her body into a suitcase he borrowed from his grandmother.
He was caught two weeks later after a helicopter search.
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Read more from this author
This story was written by Gee Harland. She joined the team in 2022 as a senior multimedia reporter.
Gee covers Wallingford, Wantage and Didcot.
Get in touch with her by emailing: Gee.harland@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @Geeharland
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