UK Missing & Unsolved Murders Of Children, 1960s-2000

Vishal Mehrotra, London

This list is evolving and includes only those we have written about. We are working on a USA list and then an Australian/ New Zealand one. The idea is to allow a central point for anyone interested in these poor children. The main aim is to let those responsible know they are not forgotten. Please note some of the images are larger than others. It is technical issue not any indication of importance. A special thanks to Andrew L as much help was received with key details.

 

Mark Billington

Mark Billington, Birmingham. This lad was found hung from a tree. At first it looked like a suicide/misadventure. It is now treated as a murder enquiry. 1984. Also consider Reece Collins below. You will find links in the story about Mark to the murder of Roy Tutill in 1968. There is a person of interest in the case detailed there.

 

Vishal Mehrotra

Vishal Mehrotra, London. He was only eight years old when he vanished on the day of a big UK royal wedding. His remains were found in a rural area a long way from home. 1981.

 

Lee Boxell

a young lad,15, with light brown hair sits and looks into the camera.
Lee Boxell, Sutton, Surrey. This is a painting that his father treasured. Lee disappeared in cryptic circumstances one Saturday in 1988. Strong rumours that he fell foul of a group of child sex offenders. Significantly in later reviews the cops say they don’t believe he was a sex victim, rather he may have challenged them about assaults on other kids.

 

Genette  Tate

Genette Tate, Devon. This girl was delivering papers near her home village. That day she was covering for a lad who was on holiday. She spoke to friends and then within minutes they came across her bike, on its side, in the road. She was 13 years old. 1978

 

April Fabb

April Fabb, Norfolk. This 13 year old was on a bicycle in a rural area when, like Genette Tate she vanished. She has not been seen since. Treated as murder. 1969

 

Damien Nettles

Damien Nettles, Isle of Wight. This young man was out and about with a friend one evening in 1996. After they separated he was seen by other witnesses. Then he disappeared. He was just 16 years old.

 

Johanna Young

Johanna Young, Norfolk. This child walked into her  small town one evening. She was seen by friends. After she left to walk the short distance home an inadequate intercepted her. She was just 14 years old. 1992

 

Kate Bushell

Kate Bushell, Devon. This young lady had agreed to walk the neighbour’s dog. It was afternoon as the light was fading. She was found dead by her father as he searched for her. 14 years old, 1997

 

Sara Benford

Sara Benford, Northampton. She was just 15 when she disappeared. This child had had some challenges and her social circle was a precarious one. Many searches later no-one has made much progress. 14 years old, 2000

 

Martin Allen

Martin Allen, London. A rather infamous case. This lad went missing in bustling London in the prime of the day. 15 years old, 1979.

 

Lindsay Rimer

Lindsay Jo Rimer, West Yorkshire. This 13 year old girl went to get errands one winter’s night. She was seen and even recorded on video. She stepped out into the night and vanished. Months later her body was found floating in a canal. 1994.

Billie Jo Jenkins

Billie Jo Jenkins. Hastings. This girl was at her foster parents home in the afternoon. She was tasked with painting some doors on a patio. She was battered to death. A complex investigation that needs a good read. 13 years old, 1997 .

John Greenwood

John Greenwood, Whiston, Merseyside. John was with Gary Miller. They were pals out on a wander around their neighbourhood. Some inadequate battered them. One lingered in hospital but both died. 1980, 11 years old

 

Gary Miller

Gary Miller, was killed with John Greenwood above while they were out in their neighbourhood. 11 years old, 1980

 

Keith Lyon

Keith Lyon, Brighton. Keith walked to the shops along the open country near his home. He was stabbed to death. The focus of the enquiry seems to be on teenagers with a possible motive of robbery. 1967. He was just 12 years old.

 

John Rodgers and Thomas Spence

Thomas Spence
John Rogers, both disappeared on way to school, Belfast, NI. 11 and 13 years old. 1974.

 

Ronald Kirk, John Glennon,David Leckey, Jonathan Aven,

I have no pictures for these lads. David and Jonathan went missing in 1969. John and Ronald in 1970
This shows where they went missing. David and Jonathan on the right in East Belfast. Ronald to the north and John from West Belfast. Aged between 12-16.

Brian Mc Dermott

Brian McDermott, Belfast. He was playing in a park on the last day of the summer school holidays in 1973. He was just 10 years old. Some of his remains were recovered from the nearby river. Recent reviews have concentrated on it being teenagers as the offenders.

Sean McGann

Image of Sean McGann’s missing jacket. Northampton. This 15 year old went to a funfair. They are not sure if he made it. He was found in an alleyway the next morning. Some of his clothing was missing. Other items were left nearby. The image is of a reconstruction. The jacket is a replica of one that is missing. 1979

Kevin Hicks

Kevin Hicks, South London. This was a mysterious vanishing that is treated as a murder. Kevin was 16 years old and he went to the shop mid evening and never came home. There are sightings of him as if he had gone somewhere else either before or after the store. He took nothing with him that would show any intention to just walk off. 1986

 

Allan Graham 

This 11 year old boy went to the shops in 1970. He was staying at his older brother’s home in Newcastle. He vanished only for his murdered body to be found in open land.

 

Reece Collins

Reece was a young lad who was found hung in woodland by a belt that he did not own and he had no reason to take his life. This was near Croydon South London A similar situation to Mark Billington who is the first on this list. Reece was only 15 years old,1986. Also see Kevin Hicks and Lee Boxell.

Patrick ‘Paddy’ Warren & David Spencer

Patrick, 11 and David 13, Birmingham. The boys were out late on a Boxing Day evening. Last seen at almost 1 am. They have not been seen since. 1996. Also see Mark Billington above. You will find links in this story to the murder of Roy Tutill in 1968. There is a person of interest in the case detailed there.

Michael Trower ( written not up yet)

Michael Trower. His remains were in such an advanced state that they could not tell if he had been sexually assaulted. Brighton, 1967. He was 14 years old

Bernard Oliver ( written not up yet)

The recovered suitcases into which eight parts of Bernard Oliver were placed. This 17 year old lad did not return to his London home in January 1967. Reports indicate he might have been alive after that. However, just over a week later he was found in a farmer’s field. He had been strangled.

 

Steven Newing

Steven Newing was 11 years old. He was last seen near Fakenham, Norfolk. 1969

That is what we have so far. As you can see there are geographic clusters of cases, many of those are linked by writers in various places. Behind the faces above are other similarities of age, activity and method of death. A good few of these children have never been found. Just to clear it up, we have used the legal definition of child. For victims 18 and over we have not yet compiled a list, however, our search engine above is pretty good if you are looking at cases with similar aspects or other age groups.

If you know anything that could help find who hurt these kids please contact the police in their areas. If you click the names to go to the full article you will find links to at least news articles that name who is dealing with the cases. Last option would be to contact us if you are unsure. Details on the contact page.

Thanks

JohnT