Michelle Bettles: DNA profiles found in Norwich murder case

Michelle Bettles was last seen walking towards Norwich city centre on 28 March 2002

DNA profiles have been found in the unsolved murder of a woman who was found strangled 20 years ago.

Michelle Bettles, 22, who was a sex worker in Norwich, was last seen in the city on the night of 28 March 2002.

Her body was found in Scarning, near Dereham, on 31 March, Easter Sunday. Her killer has never been found.

Norfolk Police's major crime review manager Andy Guy said a forensic review had found DNA profiles "which had not been possible before".

The profiles were found on items connected to Ms Bettles and the case, he said.

"I would ask if any person has had legitimate, personal contact with Michelle to come forward and be eliminated," he said.

"Equally, we are eager to hear from anyone with useful information about the last few days of Michelle's life."

On the night of 28 March, Ms Bettles had not kept an appointment with a regular client, which police described as unusual for her.

At 20:20 GMT she was seen on CCTV walking along St Benedicts Street towards the city centre, in the opposite direction to the pre-arranged meeting at her home near Dereham Road.

'Give her family closure'

On the morning of Easter Sunday, her body was found in woodland by the side of Rushmeadow Road, a narrow country lane in Scarning, about 18 miles from Norwich.

A murder investigation was launched but the killer has never been identified.

Mr Guy, said: "It is 20 years since the murder of Michelle and I do believe the public have vital information which can help us solve our investigation and give her family some closure.

"We know that Michelle had a number of acquaintances in Norwich and I am hoping that over time, situations or allegiances may have changed which will give someone the confidence to provide us with any new information."

He said a review of the case was also looking at information which suggested a potential sighting of Ms Bettles in the City Road area, walking towards Queens Road just after 22:30 GMT on 28 March.

There were also other, uncorroborated sightings of her around the Rouen Road and Ber Street area, police said.

To help jog memories of that weekend, police said that the Queen Mother had died on Saturday 30 March.

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Ten years ago, Ms Bettles' father, John, said he believed his daughter's killer was perhaps already serving a life sentence for another murder.

We Are England: Finding Michelle Bettles is on BBC One at 20:30 BST in the East and on BBC iPlayer.

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