Murder inquiry after chef fatally stabbed in Southend
A chef who was fatally stabbed after a concert, following an argument with two men, has been named by police.
Reynald Duchene, 37, of Arlington Square, South Woodham Ferrers, had been at a classical music concert in Priory Park, Southend, on Saturday.
He was found collapsed in Priory Crescent later that evening.
A post-mortem examination confirmed the victim died from a single stab wound to the chest. Police are looking for two men aged about 20, both slimly built.
Mr Duchene was seen having an argument with a group of men and a woman on Priory Crescent near to its junction with Victoria Avenue at 2330 BST.
Found by partner
He was later found by his partner and friends stabbed in the chest a short distance away.
Mr Duchene lived with his partner and her children, and was a chef in London.
Police search teams have recovered a knife, but detectives are unclear as to whether this was the weapon involved in the stabbing and still want to hear any reports of discarded knives.
Det Ch Insp Godfrey O'Toole said: "We're in the very early stages of this murder inquiry so we're still trying to clarify the exact sequence of events.
"At this moment in time, what happened between 2300 BST and midnight are our focus.
"As a result, we're asking anyone who was in the vicinity of Priory Crescent and Victoria Avenue at this time to contact us.
"They could be crucial witnesses.
"We do know that the people that Reynald, his partner and friends came into contact with are possibly people of Mediterranean background."
The two men that detectives urgently need to identify are described as tanned and approximately 5ft 10in (1.72m) tall.
One was wearing all white clothing and aged in his late teens or early 20s.
He was described as being of slim build with short, dark spiky hair. His trousers were three-quarter length and his top had a large Nike tick logo.
Detectives are continuing to examine CCTV to ascertain whether anything useful has been captured on cameras in the local area.
Two men from Southend, aged 18 and 19, are currently on police bail until 6 August after being arrested in connection with the incident.
Anyone with information has been urged to contact police.