Excavation at former allotment site linked to historic murder investigation

An area of waste ground in Middlesbrough is being excavated as part of attempts to solve a 20-year-old murder case.

Police and a specialist search team started work at a former allotment site near to Troon Close, Middlesbrough today (Monday 18th June 2018) as part of the investigation into the disappearance of Donna Keogh from Middlesbrough in 1998 when she was just 17 years old.

Donna has never been found and her disappearance is being treated as a murder investigation. The investigation is being conducted by Cleveland Police’s Historic Investigations Unit which was established by a special grant from the Home Office earlier this year.

Detective Superintendent Michael Hunt, leading the investigation, said: “As part of our investigation we have reviewed a large amount of information, the review has identified areas of interest where we will be conducting targeted searches in an attempt to find Donna and discover what happened to her in 1998. Donna’s family desperately want to give her a proper funeral and finally lay her body to rest, finding Donna continues to be a priority for the investigation team.”

As part of this operation, neighbourhood officers will be delivering leaflets to local residents appealing for information and explaining the police activity they will see over the coming days. There is no set timetable for the excavation, it will simple be concluded once the site has been thoroughly examined.

To support the investigation, the public can visit www.finddonna.co.uk to view details about Donna’s life, her disappearance and the police’s on-going investigation