Twenty years after the death of Michelle Bettles, her parents are making a renewed appeal to the public for information regarding her killer and bring their daughter's murderer to justice, according to a report by the Eastern Daily Press.
John Bettles and Denise Taylor, who got back to being a couple 12 years ago after a chance meeting at the graveside of their daughter on what would have been Michelle's 30th birthday, said they believed people still hold information regarding the death of their daughter which could finally lead to the capture of her killer.
Michelle, who was a sex worker in Norwich, was last seen there on the night of March 28, 2002. Bettles' body was then discovered in a woodland near the A47 at Scarning on March 31, 2002, an Easter Sunday. Up to this point, her killer has never been found, with the case remaining unsolved.
Parents of Michelle Bettles seek information regarding daughter's death
Michelle's parents said they hoped a new police appeal to mark the 20th anniversary of their daughter's tragic death might finally yield new leads to the cold case and, in the process, bring closure to the family.
Mr. Bettles talked to reporters about her daughter, saying, "The way she was just cruelly and abruptly taken from us. It is not just us; it's the rest of the family." Bettles clearly has not moved on as he then asked, "You think how would she have grown up? How would she have matured? What would her achievements in life have been?"
Bettles added that he thinks his daughter would have achieved a lot as she was a bright kid. Taylor echoed her partner's sentiments, saying it has been 20 years since she got the news of her daughter's death, but it is still as painful.
ITV reported that the police are not giving up on solving Bettles' death, testing items for new DNA leads that may finally unlock the mystery of one of the most high-profile cold cases in Norfolk. The latest efforts by the police to solve the case have given Bettles hope that a fresh breakthrough will emerge in the investigation.
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DNA leads may finally solve the death of Michelle Bettles
Bettles had a warning for people close to his daughter, saying, "the items being tested will come back, and if you were in contact with Michelle anywhere near the time of her disappearance then chances are if you've left your DNA it is going to be there and they will find it."
Taylor also had a chilling warning to the person who murdered her daughter, saying that she is hoping and praying that the one who did this will worry because DNA has moved forward, and now there is every chance they will get their comeuppance.
According to a report from the BBC, Michelle unusually had not kept an appointment with a regular client before her disappearance. Bettles had arranged to meet her client close to her home address in the Dereham Road area of Norwich.