The Chilling Reality of Britain's Unsolved Murders
A shocking new investigation has laid bare the scale of unresolved homicide cases across the United Kingdom, with a special publication from The Mirror highlighting more than 1,100 unsolved murders. The findings, compiled through Freedom of Information requests to every police force in the country and extensive archival research, raise the disturbing possibility that killers are living undetected within our communities.
Victims Whose Stories Demand Answers
The comprehensive database, published in Britain’s 1,000 Unsolved Murders volume II: Midnight Stalkers, features numerous detailed case studies that continue to baffle investigators. These are some of the haunting stories behind the statistics.
Angela Millington, 33, was described as a recluse who mingled with street drinkers and homeless people in Southend. Her skeletal remains were discovered by walkers on Foulness Island in Essex on 21 June 2013. Investigators determined she didn't die where she was found and that her face had been wrapped in black gaffer tape. With no precise date for when she was last seen alive—estimates varied between five and six months before discovery—establishing a timeline proved impossible.
Nikolai Glushkov, a Russian exile and critic of Vladimir Putin, was found strangled in his New Malden home on 12 March 2018. A coroner ruled that a third party was responsible and that evidence suggested his death was staged to look like suicide. This tragedy occurred just one week after the Novichok poisoning in Salisbury.
Melanie Hall vanished after a night out in Bath in 1996. Her partial remains weren't discovered until thirteen years later, in October 2009, near an M5 junction in South Gloucestershire. Her skull showed devastating injuries, with her cheekbones and jaw smashed in. Despite eleven arrests, no one has ever been charged.
George Wilson, a 41-year-old pub landlord known for his generosity, was found by his wife with at least thirteen stab wounds in an alley in what became known as "The Pretty Windows Murder." A bloodied sheaf knife was discovered miles from the crime scene. On the 50th anniversary of his killing, his daughter Margaret made a public plea for information, believing local people might hold crucial knowledge.
Decades-Old Mysteries and Modern Tragedies
The cases span generations, from historical enigmas to recent shootings, demonstrating that justice has no expiry date.
The mystery of Wych Elm Bella began in 1943 when four schoolboys found a skull in a tree in Hagley Woods, Worcestershire. Most of her body was inside the trunk, sparking numerous theories involving Satanism, espionage, and the occult. Her identity remains unknown.
In a more contemporary case, Abraham Badru, 26, was shot dead outside his Hackney home on 25 March 2018. The personal trainer had previously received a bravery award for helping convict a gang of rapists when he was just 14 years old. Despite a £20,000 reward, the Metropolitan Police encountered a "wall of silence."
Alexander Kareem, an aspiring computer scientist, was fatally shot while riding an e-scooter in Shepherd's Bush on 8 June 2020. Police believe it was a case of mistaken identity. A white Range Rover was found burned out 25 minutes after the shooting. Nine people were arrested but all were released without charge.
Alisa Dmitrijeva, a 17-year-old Latvian student, vanished from Wisbech in August 2011. Her partially-clothed body was discovered on the Sandringham Estate on New Year's Day 2012. The cause of her death could never be determined.
The Enduring Quest for Justice
These cases, along with hundreds of others detailed in the murder map, represent not just statistical cold cases but ongoing tragedies for the families left behind. While some killers may have since died, they nevertheless evaded punishment for their crimes.
Law enforcement continues to pursue leads, with many forces regularly reviewing these unsolved murders. The publication of this database serves as both a memorial to the victims and a powerful call to the public: someone, somewhere, holds the missing piece that could bring closure to these devastating stories.
