USW Criminologist comments on re-opened murder enquiry

Criminologist Dr Cheryl Allsop was interviewed on BBC Radio Wiltshire today about the issue of re-opening cold cases, in light of Wiltshire Police re-opening a missing persons case from 1995.

Dr Allsop, who specialises in this area, was discussing a cold case review into the disappearance of Sally Ann John in Swindon in 1995. Wiltshire police have opened a 'new' murder investigation after potential new lines of inquiry were identified during the review. 

Dr Allsop said: "When Sally Ann originally went missing in 1995 a missing persons investigation was conducted but detectives were unable to trace Sally Ann or discover what had happened to her and so the case went 'cold'. The cold case review and subsequent new lines of enquiry that have been identified highlights the continued interest in, and focus on, cold case investigations and the opportunities and challenges detectives are presented with in attempting to detect long term unsolved crimes."

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