Michelle Bettles: Full DNA profile collected in hunt for 2002 killer

Michelle Bettles was found strangled in woodland near Dereham three days after her disappearance in 2002

Detectives investigating the murder of a woman 20 years ago have made a breakthrough by collecting a "complete male DNA profile" from her clothing.

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. She had been strangled.

Norfolk Police urged anyone who had contact with Ms Bettles to come forward "before we contact you."

A forensic review into the mother-of-three's unsolved murder began in March 2022 on the 20th anniversary of her death.

The inquiry used advances in forensic technology "not possible at the time of her murder" to re-examine DNA found on her clothes.

Several DNA profiles were taken from samples of her clothing, including one complete profile, police said.

• DNA profiles found in murder case 20 years on

The force's major crime review manager, Andy Guy, said: "There have been multiple advances in forensic science over recent years which have significantly advanced this investigation.

"So I ask anybody who knows what happened to Michelle, or has suspicions regarding who may be responsible, to do the right thing and contact us.

"I would also urge any man who had legitimate, personal contact with Michelle to come forward and be eliminated from the inquiry, before we contact you."

Ms Bettles was captured on grainy CCTV footage walking through Norwich city centre on the night she disappeared

Detectives said they were working to identify the man from the DNA and further forensic work would be carried out to see if any more full profiles could be established.

Following the appeal in March, the force received eight calls from members of the public offering suggestions of names as possible friends or contacts of Ms Bettles, and reports of potential sightings of her in the City Road area on the evening she disappeared.

These were still being investigated, the police said.

They added that Ms Bettles had not kept an appointment with a regular client she had arranged to meet close to her home in the Dereham Road area of the city, which was unusual.

Andy Guy, Norfolk Police's major crime review manager, urged anyone in contact with Ms Bettles at the time to get in touch

CCTV footage showed Ms Bettles walking along St Benedict's Street towards the city centre at 20:20 GMT on 28 March 2002, which suggested she never intended to keep the appointment as she was heading in the opposite direction, Norfolk Police said.

Her body was found by a dog walker in woodland by a country track known as Rushmeadow Road in Scarning.

The police said that the Easter weekend in 2002 was the same weekend the Queen Mother died.

A post-mortem examination and scientific analysis suggested she had been dead for 24 hours before she was found.