Renewed hunt for murder suspect 30 years after schoolgirl went to buy cornflakes but failed to return home
7 November 2024, 10:14
The family of a murdered schoolgirl have appealed for witnesses 30 years after she went to buy cereal but failed to return home.
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Lindsay Rimer, 13, disappeared after going to buy a box of corn flakes in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, on the evening of November 7, 1994.
The schoolgirl never returned home, with her body discovered by two canal workers close to her home six months after she first went missing.
30 years on, Lindsay's family likened the unanswered questions surrounding the schoolgirl's murder to "living a life sentence".
In the years following her disappearance, police say they have spoken to more than 5,000 individuals and examined more than 1,200 vehicles.
Det Ch Insp James Entwistle of West Yorkshire Police said officers were "no closer to the truth" and urged people: "Now's the time to talk to us."
Two men were arrested following a lengthy police investigation and multiple appeals, but both were later released.
"Has this been on your conscience for thirty years?" Detective Entwistle said.
"It's perfectly possible there's more than one person involved, its perfectly possible there's a vehicle involved.
"Maybe you didn't murder Lindsay but you know exactly who did because you were there and that's sat on your conscience for 30 years."
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"Now is the time to come and talk to us, now is the time to draw a line under this and bring that closure for Lindsay's family."
On the anniversary of her disappearance, posters of Lindsay have now gone up around the Hebden Bridge area where her body was discovered.
Lindsay left her home in Cambridge Street at around 22:00 BST on the night of her disappearance, calling in to see her mother at the Trades Club.
The schoolgirl was then captured 20 minutes later on CCTV purchasing the corn flakes from a local Spar on Crown Street.
The last confirmed sighting of Lindsay came shortly after exiting the store.
Two bus passengers identified the schoolgirl as she leant against a wall near to the town’s Memorial Garden.
Lindsay's sister, Kate Rimer, explained: "If you know something you need to come forward because you have a moral duty to end this.
"Not just for Lindsay and us as a family, but for the wider community of Hebden Bridge who have lived with this."
Det Ch Insp Entwistle told the BBC: "Firstly, do you have suspicions about someone? Were you maybe a prison officer, a probation officer, a teacher who's always wondered 'what about that person?’
“Secondly, were you in Hebden Bridge at the time? Have you always wondered about coming forward? Loyalties change over 30 years.
“And thirdly, were you involved? Do you have this on your conscience? Maybe you weren't responsible for the murder, but you know exactly what happened."
