How tragic mum's disappearance exploded into huge manhunt with fears NEW unknown serial killer was prowling UK streets
QUESTIONS are still being asked more than two decades after a mum mysteriously vanished without a trace.
Sex worker Kellie Pratt, from Norwic h, went missing in June 2000 when she was 28 years old after moving to the Norfolk city from Newcastle to be closer to her mum.
4
The mum of two sons was last seen outside The Rose pub in Queens Road.
A quarter of a century on, Norfolk Constabulary's cold case manager Andy Guy is convinced that some Brits roaming the streets have answers to his questions.
He told the Chronicle: "It has been 25 years now since Kellie went missing from the streets of Norwich and this very much remains an open and active case.
"Time has passed, but we continue to work on this case and follow up lines of inquiry to find who is responsible and to bring them to justice.
"I believe the answer to her disappearance lies within the people she knew in Norwich, and it is those people I would ask to examine their consciences and to come forward and speak to us.
'There are rumours circulating about what happened to Kellie, but in order to resolve this investigation those with first-hand information would need to do the right thing.
"After 25 years, people's circumstances will have changed and I hope this milestone will be enough to encourage individuals with relevant information to have the courage to come forward.'
Kellie was called on her Nokia 6100 at 11.30pm - within about 10 minutes of being seen outside the pub - and said she was with "a punter".
Cops tracked down and questioned the individual who made the final call to Kellie but the person she was with that night remains a mystery.
"The person she was with that night may or may not be responsible but if he wasn't we would still want to hear from them," Andy revealed.
Interestingly, on March 29, 2002, another sex worker, 22-year-old Michelle Bettles, disappeared from the Norwich red light district, prompting fears there could be a serial killer at large in the city.
Michelle's body was found 48 hours later but her killer has never been caught.
And in 2006, a string of three murders of women working in the city's red light district shook the nation.
It was later revealed that a ripper-style murderer was thought to be targeting prostitutes in the Ipswich area, just 40 miles from the pub where Kellie was last seen.
Cops in Norfolk teamed up with Suffolk Constabulary as the force probed the death of Gemma Adams, 25, and the disappearance of her missing friend Tania Nichol, 19.
Steve Wright, dubbed the Suffolk Strangler, was eventually jailed for the murders of five women, including Paula Clennell, who was originally from Northumberland, but no links with Kellie were found.
In 2005, five years after Kellie's disappeared, officers said they weren't holding out hope that the missing person would be found.
A spokesman said: 'Despite extensive enquiries, it is still unclear what happened to Kellie, although police and her family have for some time feared the worst.
"Work has been ongoing since Kellie disappeared five years ago.
"Last month, officers carried out inquiries into whether advances in phone technology could offer any new opportunities for investigation but unfortunately, it was established that this was not the case."
4
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BreakingNews.ie
23 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Man charged in relation to attack on Islamic Centre in Belfast
A man has been charged in relation to an attack on the Islamic Centre in Belfast. A viable device was thrown through a window of the centre during evening prayer on Friday. Advertisement Police cordoned off the area and the public were encouraged to avoid it. On Sunday, a man aged 34 was charged with a number of offences including attempted arson with intent to endanger life. He was also charged with attempt to cause an explosion, making explosives with intent to endanger life and criminal damage. He is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates' Court on Monday. Advertisement The attack on the Islamic Centre has been criticised by politicians over the weekend.
The Independent
40 minutes ago
- The Independent
Keir Starmer claims Kneecap Glastonbury performance ‘not appropriate'
Irish hip-hop trio Kneecap are scheduled to perform at Glastonbury next weekend, despite controversy surrounding one of its members. Band member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh has been charged under the Terrorism Act for allegedly displaying a Hezbollah flag at a London show last year. Prime Minister Keir Starmer stated he does not think Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury is appropriate due to the ongoing court case. Conservative party leader Kemi Badenoch called for the BBC not to broadcast Kneecap's performance, citing the charge and accusing the band of extremism. The band denies supporting Hamas or Hezbollah, calling the charge a distraction, and has publicly linked the issue to their support for Palestine.
The Guardian
42 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Family pay tribute to charity co-founder fatally stabbed in north London
A woman who was found stabbed after a gas explosion at her home in north London 'gave her life to helping the vulnerable and the disadvantaged', her family have said. Annabel Rook, 46, was found injured at a house in Dumont Road, Stoke Newington, just before 5am on Tuesday, and paramedics were unable to resuscitate her at the scene. Rook worked for the charity she co-founded, MamaSuze, which supports refugee and migrant women, some of whom have fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities. In a statement issued via the Metropolitan police, her family said they were 'struggling to come to terms with this terrible tragedy'. The tribute read: 'We have lost our beautiful daughter, sister, friend and mother. Annabel was a truly wonderful woman. She touched the hearts of so many. 'She gave her life to helping the vulnerable and the disadvantaged, whether it was in refugee camps in Africa, or setting up MamaSuze in London to enhance the lives of survivors of forced displacement and gender-based violence.' The family asked for their privacy to be respected. A 44-year-old man was arrested at the address on suspicion of murder. He was taken to hospital and later discharged and taken into police custody, the force said. Police have said they believed the incident was 'domestic-related'. John Martin, the artistic director of Pan Intercultural Arts, where Rook worked with young refugees for 16 years until 2022, previously described her as 'a larger-than-life character' who had joined the charity as a volunteer. In a personal tribute, Martin said: 'Annabel's energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope. This was her speciality, I think – a sort of boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred on to other people. 'She spent her life, certainly the 10, 12 years that I knew her, fighting [for] women who had been abused [and] fighting against violence to women.' MamaSuze said in a statement shared on Tuesday that it was 'devastated by the loss of our beloved co-founder' and that she treated everyone with 'warmth and kindness'. 'Annabel was a profound force for good in the world, dedicating her working life to supporting women survivors,' it said. Police were called at 4.57am on Tuesday to reports of a gas explosion with a person trapped inside the property. Rook was found at the scene with stab wounds. The front bay window of the property was completely blown out, and debris including plants, wooden shutters and glass was scattered across the street. Two children aged seven and nine were taken to hospital as a precaution after the incident. They are not thought to have been inside the home when the explosion occurred.
