DETECTIVES have marked the 21st anniversary of the disappearance of a young woman in Middlesbrough by launching a new murder investigation after a review of the case.
Vicky Glass was one of three young women who vanished between April 1998 and June 2002 and the cold case review has identified significant new lines of enquiry in their hunt for her brutal killer.
The 21-year-old was last seen being dropped off by a taxi driver at 4am on September 24, 2000, on Union Street at the junction with Eshwood Square in the town.
She was missing from home for six weeks before her naked body was discovered at a remote spot near Danby, on the North York Moors, leaving her family devastated.
Cleveland Police are hoping that the renewed appeal will help to finally deliver justice for the vulnerable young woman’s family.
When Vicky was 18, her life changed when she started getting involved with people who exploited her.
The vulnerable teenager became addicted to drugs which resulted in her being sexually exploited. She was then pressured into sex work and it was while she was working on the streets of Middlesbrough she disappeared.
The original investigation has been reviewed by the force’s Historical Investigation Unit, and a newly formed team led by Detective Chief Inspector Peter Carr, is determined to bring her killer to justice.
DCI Carr said: “We will be going out to members of the public and re-engaging with witnesses. People could be more prepared to speak now, their loyalties could have changed and one of the big things I would say, is that whoever was responsible for the murder of Vicky, I strongly believe they will have confided in somebody.
"They will have spoken to a loved one, a relative, a partner about that and maybe after 21 years things will have changed and we would appeal to that person to come forward and give us that evidence.
"Somebody must know what happened to Vicky and who was responsible for her murder.
"Any piece of evidence you may have, please come forward, what may seem small to you could be the key we need to solve this case."
Four people have been arrested in connection with Vicky’s murder since 2000, but all have been released with no further action.
The team will be reinvestigating her death using new forensic techniques, speaking to potential witnesses, and looking at more than 200 hours of CCTV footage from the time of her disappearance.
DCI Carr added: “We believe using modern, forensic investigative techniques there’s an opportunity to get justice for Vicky.
“Obviously, it is 21 years since Vicky was murdered but we firmly believe these techniques, including using digitally enhanced images from CCTV, there will be lines of inquiry that will open to us that will help to identify who is responsible for Vicky’s murder.
“We are absolutely determined to do all we can and try to get some justice for Vicky and her family.”
Her mother, Deborah Goodall, died in 2015, never seeing justice for her daughter.
Her family has issued a statement through the police, saying: “We feel the loss of Vicky every day, she deserves justice and hope that this reinvestigation puts those responsible behind bars.
“She did not deserve to have her life taken, no one had the right to do that.
“Vicky was loved deeply by us, and as a family we have been through turmoil especially as mam Deborah passed away without any answers, knowing Vicky’s killer is out there and people have information that they are not coming forward with.
“Please do the right thing and help get justice for Vicky and give our family some hope of healing. We plead with you to do the right thing by contacting the police or Crimestoppers.”
Detectives have launched a website, www.vickyglass.co.uk, containing information about Vicky and the case, in a bid to appeal for information and to put Vicky’s story firmly back in the spotlight.
Anyone with information is urged to call Cleveland Police on 101 or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
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