Natalie Pearman case: DNA could solve 1992 murder

Natalie Pearman was found suffocated in a lay-by

The murder of a teenager 25 years ago could be solved with a "simple" DNA match, police have said.

Natalie Pearman, 16, was found dead in a lay-by at Ringland Road, Norwich, at 03:50 GMT on 20 November 1992.

Post-mortem tests found Natalie, who had been working as a prostitute on the city's streets, had been suffocated.

Norfolk Police said DNA was recovered from the crime scene at the time and catching her killer was a "simple matter" of matching it to a profile.

Det Ch Insp Caroline Millar, who leads the force's cold case team, said: "Natalie's murder is one of those cases that could be easily solved with one piece of information.

"There are people who know, or strongly suspect, who was responsible and I'm sure that plays heavily on their consciences. All we need is a name and we will do the rest."

'Little more than a child'

Ms Pearman's body was found by a lorry driver en route to work. She was last seen alive in Rouen Road at 01:15 GMT.

Police said there were signs of sexual activity shortly before her death and officers loaded DNA collected at the scene on to the national database.

Officers have interviewed more than 4,000 people and DNA-profiled more than 680 men, mostly in the last five to six years, to eliminate them from inquiries.

However, there has been no match despite developments in forensic profiling.

A lorry driver found Natalie's body at Ringland Road

Det Ch Insp Millar added: "Natalie was little more than a child when she was murdered and her and her family deserve that this case is resolved."

A YouTube video made by police in 2012 was released to try to jog people's memories.

An appeal in 2011 resulted in an anonymous caller who claimed to have spotted the teenager in King Street prior to her death but further appeals to them to make contact failed to recover extra information.

Detectives have probed possible links to serial killer Steve Wright, who murdered five sex workers in Ipswich, and murderer Peter Tobin, but without success.