Killers at large: The horrifying North East murder cases that remain unsolved; As loved ones of these tragic victims remain tortured their killers have escaped justice for years.
Byline: Sophie Doughty
The killers who robbed these victims of their lives have remained at large for another year.
This year one of the North East's most baffling murder mysteries was finally brought to a close when killer Karen Tunmore walked into a police station and confessed to murdering Sunderland teenager Scott Pritchard in 2004.
The shock admission brought much-needed closure to Scott's still heartbroken family, and landed Tunmore, from Killingworth, with a life sentence.
Detectives say Tunmore told them she came forward because shecouldn't live with what she had done any longer.
And today as we look back at 10 of the region's most baffling unsolved slayings, victims' loved ones have told how the Pritchard case has given them new hope that justice is possible years, or even decades, on.
Kevin Nightingale was gunned down on the doorstep of theirSouth Shieldshome almost 23 years ago, yet to this day who killed him and why remains a mystery.
Today his tortured widow has told how hearing that Tunmore had confessed to Scott's murder out of the blue gave her fresh hope that someone could do the same in her husband's case.
The 54-year-old said: "This shows that there's no time limit. I'm hoping one day somebody will get a conscience about Kevin and hand themselves in. This shows anything is possible, hopefully it's eating away at someone, you never know what goes on in people's heads."
And Fred Baron, whose brother Allan Graham was killed almost 50 years ago also said he still believes justice is possible.
The 76-year-old said: "That someone can confess after 15 years does give me hope. It shows murder cases can be solved out of the blue. I just wish someone would do the same for our Allan. Every day I hope it will be the day someone comes forward with something. One little piece of information could be all we need."
Det Chief Supt Lisa Orchard, ofNorthumbria Policesaid all unsolved murders are regularly reviewed, and officers are always keen to receive new information.
"Unsolved murders are never closed and are all subject to periodic reviews," she explained. "If any new information comes to light about any case, our detectives make sure that it is fully investigated.
"If you have information that could help detectives with any of our unsolved cases then please call us."
Here are some of the region's murders that remain unsolved:
Kevin Nightingale:
Nightclub doorman Kevin, 33, was gunned down outside the house he shared with wife Julie, and their two children Michelle and Kevin-junior, on Drake Close, South Shields.
The family man had just finished a shift at the town's Oz club before being dropped off by pals Ian Morgan, his wife Joanne, and Shaun Doyle. Moments later he was shot four times from behind and fatally wounded.
Julie, who had been in bed at the time, rushed downstairs when she heard the noise. But there was nothing she could do to help her husband other than cradle him in her arms as he died.
Plaque prank brings heartache to families of murder victims Kevin Nightingale and David 'Noddy' Rice
Initially Mr and Mrs Morgan and Mr Doyle were spoken to by detectives as witnesses. But the trio were later charged with Kevin's murder twice, in 2000 and 2001.
On both occasions the case was thrown out and in 2007 all...
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