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Detectives are offering a £20,000 reward for information leading to a solution to the mystery. murder Saw it Wrong man spent almost 40 years in jail.
Diane Sindall, 21, in Birkenhead, merseyside, Early Saturday morning, August 2, 1986. Her body was discovered by a member of the public in an alleyway off Borough Road. Wirral Town A few hours later.
She had been sexually assaulted and seriously injured. It was confirmed that her cause of death was cerebral hemorrhage.
Peter Sullivan was dubbed the “Mersey Ripper” and “The Beast of Birkenhead” after he was convicted of murder in 1987, aged 30. Mr. Sullivan, who has maintained his innocence for decades, Conviction to be quashed in 2025 After the Court of Appeal DNA evidence shows another killer.
He spent 38 years in prison, the longest miscarriage of justice in British history. Efforts to identify the true owner of the DNA are continuing and detectives are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Crimestoppers are also offering a reward of up to £20,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of Diane’s murderer.
Merseyside PoliceDetective Superintendent Rachel Wilson said: “This is a devastating blow to Diane’s family who are still waiting for answers about her murderer and we remain committed to identifying the person who left DNA at the scene.
“In 1986, DNA was in its early stages and therefore unavailable to the detectives initially investigating Diane’s death, but the team conducted a comprehensive investigation into her murder.
“Unfortunately, no match was found in the national DNA database and we know it does not belong to any of her family members or her fiancé.”
Detective Superintendent Wilson said the investigation team had obtained samples locally but had also screened samples in Swansea, Perth, London, Hull and Newcastle where DNA had been voluntarily removed.
Some 461 men have been excluded from the investigation and are awaiting forensic results from a further 43 samples submitted earlier this month.
DSI Wilson added: “Although it’s been almost 40 years since Diane was murdered, we still believe there are people who know what happened, or have their own suspicions, but have yet to come forward. My message is: ‘It’s never too late to do the right thing.'”
Police said they knew florist Diane had been working part-time at the Wellington pub in Bebington on Friday, August 1, 1986.
She left work in her blue Fiat van at 11.45pm but on her way home the van ran out of petrol on Borough Road.
Diane emerged from the van on Saturday morning when several witnesses saw her walking along Borough Road between midnight and 12.20am. Her body was found 12 hours later in an alleyway off Borough Road.
DSI Wilson added: “On August 17, 1986, property belonging to Diane was recovered at Bidston Hill.
“Investigative teams have since identified a number of witnesses who saw a small fire at the location where the property was discovered on Sunday 3 August and saw a man fleeing the scene.”
Police would like to hear any information about anyone who saw or heard something suspicious in Borough Road on the evening of Friday, August 1, or in the early hours of Saturday, August 2.
They are also asking for help in identifying a man who escaped from Bidston Hill on Sunday, August 3.
DSI Wilson added: “We can trace and ask for a DNA sample from anyone you suspect, even relatives who have died or immigrated.”
The reward is valid for three months and will expire on April 22, 2026.