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Detectives investigating the 1986 murder of Diane Sindall in Merseyside have announced a £20,000 reward aimed at uncovering new leads in the case that tragically led to an innocent man spending nearly four decades behind bars. Peter Sullivan was wrongfully convicted of the crime and served a life sentence before being exonerated in May 2025, following advances in DNA testing that excluded him as the perpetrator. Sindall, a 21-year-old florist who was also working part-time at a pub to save for her wedding, was the victim of a violent sexual assault and murder on Borough Road, Birkenhead.
Since reopening the investigation, Merseyside Police have collected voluntary DNA samples from 461 men, which included Sindall’s male relatives and fiancé, all of whom have been cleared from suspicion. The case gained intense media attention in the past, with Sullivan being labeled the “Beast of Birkenhead” and the “Mersey Ripper.” Now, with criminal justice renewed and aided by the independent charity Crimestoppers, the reward is in place to encourage anyone with information related to the real killer to come forward.
On the night of the murder, Diane Sindall had finished her shift at a pub in Bebington around 23:45 BST and was seen driving home in a blue Fiat van used for her florist job. It is believed that she ran out of petrol and abandoned the vehicle on Borough Road. Witnesses later spotted her walking nearby just after midnight, but her body was discovered in an alley the following day, partially undressed and with fatal injuries resulting from a brain bleed. Police recovered some of her partially burned clothing two weeks later on Bidston Hill, not far from the crime scene, and reports of smoke and a man seen running in that area were noted.
The Criminal Cases Review Commission ordered fresh testing of semen samples from Sindall’s body in 2023, which produced a new DNA profile that did not match Sullivan’s, prompting the re-investigation. Merseyside Police have since expanded DNA requests to all persons of interest connected to the original inquiry or Sindall’s family. Though some suspects may have since died, the possibility of testing relatives for DNA links remains. Det Supt Rachel Wilson highlighted the gap between modern investigative tools—such as CCTV and telecommunications—and the resources available in 1986, crediting DNA improvements for this new profile that could finally identify the offender. The police continue to urge anyone with relevant information to contact Crimestoppers anonymously before the reward offer expires in April
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