FORENSIC experts and specially trained search teams today resumed their hunt for clues which could hold the key to a Suffolk woman's murder.Dawn Walker's semi-naked body was discovered beside a river, just north of Bury St Edmunds by a dog walker.

FORENSIC experts and specially trained search teams today resumed their hunt for clues which could hold the key to a Suffolk woman's murder.

Dawn Walker's semi-naked body was discovered beside a river, just north of Bury St Edmunds by a dog walker.

The 37-year-old's corpse had burn marks on it although detectives are not revealing at this stage, their severity or whether they were on the front or back of the torso.

Today officers were continuing their trawl through Miss Walker's recent past, trying to build a picture of her life and the people she knew.

Police also released a description of the victim and what she was wearing before she was reported missing just six hours before she was found.

Miss Walker was white, 5ft 8in tall, of slim but athletic build, with shoulder-length auburn hair. When she was last she was wearing a green cotton walking trousers and a blue zipped sweatshirt-type top.

A spokesman for Suffolk police declined to say whether the Miss Walker's body was fully or partially clothed when it was discovered by a dog walker beside the River Lark. However reports have said she was semi-naked when found.

The grim discovery came 38 hours after Miss Walker, of Oak Close, Fornham St Martin, was last seen on Wednesday, February 2.

Detectives have now cordoned off a radius of about three-quarters of a mile from the crime scene which is near to the Suffolk Golf and Country Club in Fornham St Genevieve, where Miss Walker was a member.

Mike Nunn, a spokesman for Suffolk police, said the investigation team were very keen to hear from anyone who was walking near the area where Miss Walker's body was found in the 48 hours leading up it being discovered.

Detectives revealed yesterday that the 37-year-old printing assistant had been set on fire. But they were unable to say whether she had been burned before or after she died. They also said there was evidence at the scene that her body had been moved.

More than 30 officers and civilian forensic and search team staff from across Suffolk have been assigned to the hunt for Miss Walker's killer.

Her corpse was discovered at 5.10pm last Friday. However it is believed she had not been seen since 9.30pm last Wednesday.

Her family, who live nearby and were being supported by police experts, were said to be too upset to talk about her death.

Detective Superintendent Roy Lambert, who is leading the investigation, said police were keeping an open mind over whether Miss Walker, who was not married and had no children, knew her killer.

“Although a cause of death has not yet been ascertained, we now believe that a third party was involved in the death of Dawn Walker,” he added.

“Due to ongoing inquiries at the scene it has become apparent that the body of Dawn has been set alight and there has been some movement of her body following this.

“Scenes of crime officers and specialist search teams are at the scene today and this will remain cordoned off whilst extensive investigations continue.”

A post-mortem examination was carried out on Saturday at Ipswich Hospital and police said further tests and house-to-house inquires were being conducted.

Anyone with information should contact Bury St Edmunds police on 01473 613999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.