Police take to Twitter to find killer of Lindsay, 13, 20 years ago

West Yorkshire Police says it the first time it has used what it calls a “tweeconstruction” in this way.

Lindsay Jo Rimer went missing in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, 20 years ago today. Her body was found in a canal in the Pennine town five months later.

Officers have launched a fresh video appeal in an attempt to identify Lindsay’s killer and complement their tweeconstruction.

The last known sighting of Lindsay was just after 10.22pm at the Spa shop on Crown Street, in the town.

Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson said: “We are looking to spread the message as far and wide as possible, by using traditional and less traditional media to have the maximum impact possible.

“I would urge everyone to watch the video and, where possible, to join in with our tweeconstruction by retweeting our messages.”

Mr Atkinson said: “Someone, somewhere knows what happened to Lindsay and I am appealing directly to that person to come forward and help me bring closure to Lindsay’s grieving family.”

On November 7 Lindsay left her home on Cambridge Street, Hebden Bridge to go to the shops. She paused briefly at the Trades Club on Holme Street where she met her mother before buying the cornflakes.

CCTV from the shop on Crown Street shows her buying the cornflakes at 10.22pm. It is not known what happened to her after this.

“All we know is that Lindsay’s body was found five months later on Wednesday April 12, 1995, with the ultimate indignity to her and to her family of her body being left to rot in a watery grave,” said Mr Atkinson.

“Someone prepared to do this doesn’t deserve any protection. It is time they were brought to justice.”

The detective said: “For 20 years Lindsay’s family have had to live with the pain and the hurt of not knowing what happened to her as her killer continues to enjoy his or her liberty.

“Every time they pass someone in the street they might be thinking - ‘was it him’ or ‘was it her’. The pain of losing a loved one in this way has caused them immeasurable suffering and not knowing who did this makes it even worse.

“Lindsay was a young girl with her whole life ahead of her and no-one knows what she could have become - her killer or killers took that away from her.

“Over the years loyalties change. You may have had suspicions about a friend or a loved one back in 1994 but never came forward out a misguided sense of loyalty. I am appealing directly to you to come forward.

“The information may seem trivial to you but could be the final piece in the jigsaw needed to catch a killer.”

To follow the tweeconstruction visit: twitter.com/westyorkspolice.