Joanna Parrish: Respects paid to British student 33 years after murder

Joanna Parrish was murdered by serial killer Michel Fourniret

Joanna Parrish was a British language student with her whole life in front of her. A bright, friendly and intelligent woman, she had moved to Auxerre in France in 1990 for part of her university course. It was a country her family thought she may settle in, but instead it was where she would be murdered by one of France's most prolific serial killers.

Monique Olivier, Michel Fourniret's ex-wife, has now been found complicit in her murder and has been jailed for life after a trial in Paris.

Speaking about his daughter's death, Roger Parrish, said the world had been "robbed of an exceptional woman".

"Never-ending devastation doesn't come even close to describing the effect Joanna's murder had on our family.

"Her life was cruelly ended by a narcissistic psychopath and his female partner who was an active participant in all of his crimes," he said.

Joanna Parrish lived in Tunbridge Wells before moving to Brockworth in Gloucester

Miss Parrish's family lived in Tunbridge Wells before moving to Brockworth in Gloucester. Her mother, Pauline Murrell, said she has vivid memories of her daughter growing up.

"I can remember when she first started to walk, there was a little shop at the end of the road and she learnt to walk up to the shop and back again," she said.

"When we lived in Tunbridge Wells, I used to take her up to Richmond [ice] skating every Sunday and she was really good at that. But she wasn't able to stop.

"She was chosen to present some flowers to Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean but everybody was worried because they knew she would skate past them when she went up, so they asked Jane and Christopher to put their arms out as she came towards them."

Miss Parrish had a close relationship with her brother Barney

Miss Parrish had a close relationship with her brother Barney.

"She used to go and watch Barney playing football on a Saturday morning and I remember her headteacher saying no other sisters used to do that," said Mr Parrish.

"Jo used to be there in the rain and the wind watching her brother play football and it really impressed him."

Ms Parrish attended Ribston High School, where she was described as a "dream student"

Miss Parrish went on to study at Ribston Hall High School, a grammar school for girls in Gloucester.

Jo Brazier was head of French at the time and described her as a "dream student".

"She was the sort of pupil that every languages teacher would want to have in their class - independent, strong-minded and very devoted to her subject," said Ms Brazier.

"Above all there was a degree of commitment that I don't think I've seen in a pupil before."

French teacher Jo Brazier said Ms Parrish was devoted to learning the language

Ms Brazier added: "She loved life and she was excited by life and curious about everything that was going on around her."

Passionate about languages, Miss Parrish then went to university to study French and as part of her course moved to Auxerre in France to work as a teaching assistant at the Lycée Jacques-Amyot.

Stephane Millot worked with Ms Parrish in France

Stephane Millot was an English teacher who worked with Miss Parrish.

She said: "She was very determined to do the best she could. She loved French.

"She was quite easy-going with the students and they liked her teaching.

"All the students of my form found her charming, lively, imaginative and a very good English assistant."

Miss Parrish's parents knew she was happy in Auxerre and visited her when they could.

"We were very proud of her and it's such a beautiful area," said Ms Murrell.

"We both felt happy that she was there. She was enjoying herself."

Joanna Parrish pictured with her dad, Roger Parrish and mum Pauline Murrell

Mr Parrish said: "We went to visit once and we thought she was marvellous, chatting to the shopkeepers.

"My French was hopelessly inadequate for doing that sort of thing.

"She wanted to take us out to a restaurant and she wanted us to have snails, because I'd never had them before.

"I quite enjoyed it but of course in the restaurant she was in her element really talking to the waiters and waitresses and the people there.

"We were just sat there thinking 'It's great, she seems to have settled in'."

Miss Parrish "was excited by life and curious about everything that was going on around her"

Ms Murrell said she never imagined her daughter would die in France.

"I always had the feeling that she would live in France, that she would eventually make a home there and I never in my wildest imaginings thought that she would end her days there," she said.

Mr Parrish and Ms Murrell said they were "so proud" of what she achieved in her short life - memories that are shared with her many friends.

"She got on so well with everybody, she just made so many friends," said Ms Murrell.

"And we're still in touch with a number of her friends," added Mr Parrish.

"Of course, they're all doing different things. Some of them in different parts of the world in fact, which makes you think, what would Jo have been doing?"

Patrick Proctor met Ms Parrish at Leeds University in 1987

Miss Parrish was engaged to Patrick Proctor at the time of her death.

The couple met at Leeds University in 1987. Miss Parrish was his first love, and the love of his life.

Giving evidence at the court on 4 December, Mr Proctor said: "Thirty years later she is always in my thoughts.

"At that time, it seemed that the suffering was the worst ever," he continued, explaining that he was so distraught by her death that he had to suspend his studies for two years.

He described her as "someone very intelligent, very funny and very kind".

"She had a good sense of humour. And I loved her."

Miss Parrish's aunt, Pauline Harris, said her peers remember her for her "radiant smile" and "bright and sunny disposition which would light up a room."

Mr Parrish said: "It's an enormously long time.

"Things that happen 30 years ago seem like 30 years ago. But we still see Joanna as if it were yesterday."

Big Cases: The Student Who Never Came Home

If you want to find out more about what happened to Joanna Parrish watch 'Big Cases: The Student Who Never Came Home' now on BBC iPlayer.