Forensic advances used in police bid to solve 2001 murder of Bradford mother

Rebecca Hall went missing from her home at Lydford House, off Elizabeth Street in the Little Horton area of Bradford at just after 10pm on April 13, 2001.

Known as Becky, she was a sex worker and was believed to be heading to Thornton Road when she disappeared. She had a four-month-old son Jordan, who is now 15, but she had never spent a night away from him.

Two weeks after her disappearance, her body was found in an alleyway in Thornton Street, Bradford on Thursday, April 16. She had suffered severe head injuries and had been viciously assaulted.

Detective Superintendent Mark Ridley, who is leading the West Yorkshire Police investigation into her murder, said his team will be reviewing the case using advances in forensic science to try and identify who was responsible for her death.

Det Supt Ridley said: “We remain determined to identify and bring to justice those who were responsible for Becky’s death. The circumstances of which are being reviewed by our Cold Case Investigation Team.

“The team will use advances in forensic technology to try and identify those who were responsible and hopefully provide Becky’s family with the answers as to who murdered her and why.”

The detective urged anyone who may still have information that would assist the police’s investigation to come forward.

He said: “We still believe that someone in the community is likely to know who was responsible for her death, and I would urge that person to come forward and contact the police.

“There is a chance that allegiances might have changed in the years which have passed, and that the person who holds the vital information could now be in a position to speak to us and tell us everything they know.”

Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Protective Services (Crime) Department at West Yorkshire Police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.