Reward for information about murder of teenager

A judge said justice had "not been done" for Kieran Williams

A charity is offering a £20,000 reward for anonymous information about the murder of an 18-year-old.

Kieran Williams went missing from his home in Sunderland on 18 April 2022.

His body was later found in a shallow, makeshift grave on a disused industrial estate in the city on 31 May 2022.

Crimestoppers is now offering a reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those linked to the murder.

Two men were charged in connection with Mr Williams' death, but were acquitted of murder at Newcastle Crown Court.

Louis Hackett, 20, was found guilty of manslaughter and jailed for five years.

His fingerprints were found around the grave, but other fingerprints discovered there have never been identified.

When Mr Williams was found between the Northern Spire Bridge and Claxheugh Rocks, he had been stabbed multiple times and his body set on fire.

'Ongoing torture'

A judge at the hearing said that Mr Williams' killer remained at large and the "real perpetrator or perpetrators" had "got away with it".

Mr Williams' mother, Tracey Williams, said she was "desperate for justice", and described the "ongoing torture" of knowing that she would "never spend one more moment" with her son.

"I continue to walk the streets where Kieran was last seen in the hope that someone, anyone, will tell me what happened to my son and why," she said.

Ms Williams said she was "begging anyone with information to come forward" and for them to "try to imagine" the "pain and desperation" she felt "every minute of every hour of every day".

The reward is available for three months and is due to expire on 18 July 2024.

Fleur Brown, North East regional manager at Crimestoppers, said she hoped by appealing for information and offering a reward, Mr Williams' family would "finally" have the answers they "desperately" needed.

The information must be exclusively received via the Crimestoppers website or by calling 0800 555 111.