The other Maddies: the missing child cases that changed the world

There are more than 1,000 unsolved murders in the UK, some going back several generations. But what happens when the trail goes cold on a murder or a missing child ? Detectives never completely close the files of unsolved homicides or missing children. They simply keep hoping that one day they will be given fresh information that may lead to finding the killer or that child. Here is over 25 cold cases of children – I have given a brief description of each case on this page but if you click the name of each, it will expand the full profile of that child.

At 8.40pm on March 2nd 1986, Kevin Hicks, aged 16, told his mother he needed some eggs for a GCSE Home Economics exam he had the next day and left his house to go to Lower Addiscombe Road’s Sperrings community shop but he was never seen again. Kevin took less than £1 with him. The shop was less than 350 yds away. CCTV from the shop was not working and staff could not remember seeing Kevin. So what happened to Kevin ?

The disappearance of Amy Fitzpatrick occurred on New Year’s Day 2008.  At 10pm on that day, 15-year-old Irish teenager Amy Fitzpatrick said goodbye to friend Ashley Rose, with whom she had been babysitting Ashley’s brother at her friend’s house in Mijas Costa in Málaga, Spain. Fitzpatrick should have arrived at her home on the urbanisation Riviera del Sol in Mijas Costa, near Fuengirola, at about 10:10pm, as it was only a short walk away. She never arrived home and has not been heard from or seen since that night.

At about 10pm on Tuesday 2 September 1969 Steven Paul Newing, age 11 was reported as a missing person from his home in Fakenham by his mother Jean Audrey Newing. There is no known reason as to why Stephen would want to leave home or run away. Steven nor his body have ever been found.

In 1970 Philip Green, an 11-year-old schoolboy, was found dead on Shirehampton Golf Course. Philip’s body was found under trees, with a blood-stained oak branch broken in two, resting on his neck and by his side. His killer has never been brought to justice.

During 1992, Nikki Allan, a seven-year-old girl, was murdered on Wear Garth estate in Sunderland. It was a crime of extreme brutality. Nikki’s body was found in a derelict building – she had been battered over the head and stabbed 37 times. No-one has ever been convicted of the evil murder of Nikki

Two nine-year-old girls were dubbed the Babes in the Wood after their bodies were found in the Wild Park, at Moulescombe, Brighton, on Thursday, October 9th, 1986. Nicola and Karen were snatched off the street close to their homes in the Moulsecoomb estate in Brighton on October 9, 1986 after going out to play. Nicola Fellows and Karen Hadaway had been sexually assaulted and murdered. Their bodies were found the following day, huddled together in nearby Wild Park. Karen’s head was resting on her friend’s lap

Natalie Pearman was a 16 yr old girl who was strangled and her body dumped in woodland at Ringland Hills, on the edge of Norwich. No one has ever been convicted of her murder. A Post Mortem examination revealed that Natalie had died from Asphyxia. Forensic swabs revealed that semen was present in her body and on her under body garments

The six-year-old twin vanished from Cashelard, Co Donegal in 1977. Mary began following her uncle and godfather, Gerry, to a neighbour’s house, but she is believed to have turned back along the way. She was never seen again. Despite an intensive garda investigation and a vast search, no trace of her has been found

Madeleine McCann disappeared on the evening of Thursday, 3 May 2007. She was on holiday with her parents and twin siblings in the Algarve region of Portugal. The British girl went missing from an apartment, in the central area of the resort of Praia da Luz, a few days before her fourth birthday, and has still not been found.

Lindsay Jo Rimer was a thirteen year old girl from Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire, who was murdered. She was last seen alive in Hebden Bridge on 7 November 1994, and her body was found in a canal about a mile away on 12 April 1995. Despite repeated appeals for information by police, her murder remains unsolved.

Keith Lyon was a 12 yr old boy who in May 1967 was brutally murdered. Keith was killed while out walking on the South Downs near Brighton. His body was discovered under bushes on a bridle path between Ovingdean and Woodingdean. He had been stabbed with a steak knife. Keith was stabbed 11 times in the chest, back and abdomen. No one has ever been convicted on the murder

A 14-year-old girl called Judith Roberts was battered to death not far from her family home in Tamworth. A young soldier stationed at Whittington Barracks confessed to the murder and served 25 years in jail. However, he later claimed that his confession was a result of psychological problems he was experiencing at the time; there being no other evidence against him, his conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal. The real killer remains unknown

The evening of Wednesday 23 December 1992 was cold and very foggy and Johanna Young, aged 14, left her home at about 7.30pm. On the Saturday Johanna’s body was found in a water filled marlpit. The body was approximately 125-140 yards from where her training shoes had been found, Johanna’s body was face down in the water and her lower clothing had been removed, her jeans missing. Her body was covered in scratches and a post-morten revealed that death was caused by drowning & a fractured skull. A investigation in 1993 and, despite a number of arrests of local men, nobody has been charged in connection with Johanna’s death.

Genette Tate 13 yr old schoolgirl whose disappearance became a famous missing person case when she went missing aged 13 whilst delivering newspapers in Aylesbeare, Devon, England, on 19 August 1978. Her bicycle and scattered newspapers were found lying in the middle of a quiet country lane only minutes after she had been speaking to two friends.  She has never been found, nor has anyone be made accountable for her disappearance.

In 1996 two boys called David Spencer & Patrick Warren mysteriously vanished. Patrick, then aged 11, and David, who was 13, had told their mums they were going out to visit one of Patrick’s brothers, who lived nearby, on Boxing Day 1996. It was the last their families ever saw or heard from them. No bodies have ever been found, nor has anyone been convicted

Daniel Joseph Entwistle was 7 years old when he disappeared from near his home at Copperfield Ave, Great Yarmouth on Saturday 3rd May 2003.  His red BMX bike was found abandoned near to the river close to Trinity Quay in the early hours of next morning. Despite a major police search and investigation involving many people and other agencies no trace of Daniel has ever been found. He remains a missing person to this day.

Damien Nettles aged 16 went missing Nov 2nd, 1996 on The Isle of Wight.  He had been out with friends and parted company from them at approx 10.30pm. He was seen on Cowes High St by various people throughout the evening and he was in good spirits. Damien was caught on security camera at Yorkie’s Chip Shop on Cowes High Street at approx 11:45pm. This is the last known sighting of Damien.  The last of 8 suspects arrested and questioned over Damien’s disappearance, or possible murder, was released from bail by police, with no further action, in June 2012. Damiens body has never been found

Charlene was a 14 yr old schoolgirl who was last seen on November 1, 2003 when she kissed her mother goodbye and went to see friends on Blackpool Promenade.  During police investigations covert tape recordings were made in which local kebab shop owner Iyad Albattikhi allegedly admits to having sex with Downes, killing her, feeding her body into a meat grinder and apparently using her as kebab meat. Two trials later and he is released. No one has ever been convicted nor has a body ever been found

In 1978 13 yr old paper/school boy Carl Bridgewater was shot dead at Yew Tree Farm on the A449 in Staffordshire, when he disturbed burglars while delivering a newspaper to the house on 19 September 1978. He was subsequently forced into the living room of the house and shot in the head at point-blank range. A outrageous miscarriage of justice followed which saw 4 men serve 18 yrs in prison for a crime they did not commit. The real killer has never been convicted

On 15 February 1997 13 yr old schoolgirl Billie-Jo was battered over the head with an iron tent peg, while painting patio doors at the family home in Hastings, East Sussex. She was alone in the garden. The family were out. Foster carer  Siôn Jenkins (no relation) was charged and convicted in 1998 but the sentence was finally quashed in 2006. M25 rapist Antoni Imiela who is serving seven life sentences following a string of vicious sex attacks against woman and girls is now a major suspect, but the killer still remains un-convicted

The disappearance of Ben Needham occurred on 24 July 1991, when the twenty-one-month-old boy went missing on the Greek island of Kos. Ben has not been seen since

April Fabb is an schoolgirl who disappeared on 8 April 1969, when aged 13, between the villages of Metton and Roughton in Norfolk, England. At around 1:40 pm on Tuesday 8 April 1969, Fabb left her home at 3 Council Houses, Metton to visit her sister’s house in Roughton. Travelling by bicycle, she had a packet of ten cigarettes, 5 ½d and a handkerchief in the saddlebag, and was planning to deliver the cigarettes as a birthday present to her brother-in-law. Just after 2:00 pm, she was seen cycling along the country road towards Roughton. At around 2:15 pm, her blue and white bicycle was found lying in a field by two Ordnance Survey workers. Despite an extensive police investigation and search of the surrounding area, no trace of Fabb was found, and the reason for her disappearance remains unknown.

Andrew Gosden was 14 when he left his family home in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, on 14 September 2007. The only confirmed sighting of him was at Kings Cross in London the same day. Andrew – a prize-winning schoolboy described by teachers as a maths genius – took a one-way train journey to London and vanished. He has not been seen or heard from since. The teenager made a £200 cashpoint withdrawal on his way to catch the train. The account was never used again.