Son pleads for 'no more secrets' over mother's murder as £10,000 reward offered

Patricia Grainger, 25, was found near her home in Parson Cross, Sheffield, on Sunday August 10 after she had not been seen by her family for a week.

Her semi-naked body was discovered in a brook face down in the water submerged by the weight of a divan bed base.

She had been sexually assaulted before she was strangled and stabbed.

Her family has put up £5,000, matched by Crimestoppers to make a total £10,000 reward, for information leading to the conviction of the person or people responsible for Ms Grainger’s murder.

Her son, Danny Grainger, said: “My vulnerable mum was treated in the most sickening way possible, used and abused as if she wasn’t human. She had learning disabilities and that made her trusting of anyone who showed her interest. They abused that trust.

“Someone out there knows what happened to Pat. No more secrets. No one should be able to get away with such a terrible crime on an innocent young mum.”

She was living with her son and her parents when she was murdered and dumped at Hartley Brook Dike, which backs on to the rear of houses on Deerlands Avenue on the Parson Cross estate.

Mr Grainger urged anyone with information about the murder of his mother to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.

Gemma Gibbs, Yorkshire and the Humber regional manager at the charity, said: “The account of what happened to Patricia is truly horrendous. Whilst many years have passed, her son and family deserve some closure, to see justice done and to have some answers.

“We know that some people are often too scared to speak directly to the police for fear of revenge, or maybe loyalties have changed over the past two decades. It could be that you’ve had suspicions, but it was too close to home. Or that you know who was responsible, but have stayed silent until now.”

A South Yorkshire Police spokeswoman said Ms Grainger’s death remains under “continual review”, and added: “We take any new information, intelligence or lines of inquiry seriously and allocate resources to look into them accordingly.”

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