Former detective Ralph Cockburn
Ralph as a young police officer
are still trying to find out who did this to my mother. It also means a cold- blooded killer has been on the loose all this time.”
At the time of his mother’s killing, Ralph was given three months’ compassionate leave. On his return he was involved in the arrest of a man for the murder of a woman outside a pub in the centre of Glasgow.
Ralph added: “It made me question w hy Du r h a m Constabulary were not making any progress with my mother’s investigation when I was able to make an arrest on my first day back.”
A suntanned man in his 30s was seen driving a blue car from Aoelian at high speed shortly before 5pm, around the time of Ann’s murder.
Criminologist Jen Jarvie believes he may be former Army chef Michael Benson, who had a history of firearms offences, burglary and robbery with a carving knife.
At the time, Benson was on the run from prison, matched the driver’s description and drove a blue Ford Orion car similar to the one seen speeding away.
Ms Ja r v i e , a former head of undergraduate policing at Sunderland College, who has been working with the families of Ann and Peter Heron, passed her evidence on to Durham in 2018.
Benson died in 2011. However, detectives obtained DNA samples from family members in Leeds. These are still being examined.
In 2005, Peter Heron, who ran a large local haulage firm, was arrested for Ann’s murder after a cold- case review, but the charges were dropped three months later. He had provided an alibi showing he was at work when Ann was killed.
Ralph added: “I’ve an open mind as to who may have murdered my mother. Michael Benson needs to be considered seriously as a suspect or at least eliminated from the inquiry.
“After all this time my sister and I simply want to find out who killed our wonderful mother and why.”
Durham Constabulary said: “The case will never be closed. Any credible information will be fully considered and the necessary action taken.”