Police begin to dig for teen who vanished 20 years ago
FRESH information has spurred cold case police teams to restart a hunt for a girl who vanished from a care home two decades ago.
Sarah Benford, 14, was last seen in Kettering on April 6 2000 and, despite several arrests, no one has ever been charged.
But “significant intelligence” led officers to start digging up a 230ft by 230ft patch of parkland in the Northants town yesterday.
Forensics tents and police vehicles were gathered in Valley Walk and the excavation is expected to take detectives two weeks.
Radar
Specialist search teams and forensic archaeologists will use penetration radar equipment to check for any historical disturbance of the land being checked.
Searches have also been made elsewhere in Kettering, as well as at sites in London and Wales, since 2000 but without a breakthrough in the hunt for Sarah.
Det Supt Joe Banfield, leading the latest hunt, said: “We have received significant intelligence which has pointed us to this site as a possible area of interest.
“Sarah went missing more than 21 years ago now, but we have never given up trying to find her body and, potentially, tracing her killer or killers.
“We have informed Sarah’s family and they are supportive.”
Sarah went into care with the backing of her mother Vicki after she began missing school and taking drugs. She walked out of a home on April 3 2000 and was reported missing by staff.
Three days later Sarah argued with her mum at the Kettering amusement arcade where she worked – that was the last time Vicki saw Sarah alive. The search included appeals on TV plus photos of Sarah put on milk cartons and lorries but no trace of her has been found.
Eight suspects were arrested and all released without charge.
Police launched a further appeal last year, challenging people who had known Sarah: “It’s now time to tell.” Det Supt Banfield added yesterday: “Someone out there knows what happened to Sarah all those years ago.” He asked anyone with information to call 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.