The detective leading the investigation into the 32-year-old murder of a Liverpool woman is appearing on Crimewatch Live today to issue a renewed appeal for information.
Julie Finley's Disappearance and Death
Julie Finley was 23 years old when she vanished from Liverpool city centre on Friday, August 5, 1994. Her naked body was discovered the following day in a field near the Wheatsheaf Hotel by the A570 Rainford Bypass. Post-mortem examinations established she had been strangled.
Merseyside Police has conducted extensive enquiries over the past three decades, interviewing dozens of witnesses and reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV footage in an effort to identify her killer.
Live Appeal and Reward
Detective Inspector Samantha Davies will make a live television appeal featuring a reconstructed sequence originally filmed by the BBC in the 1990s, capturing the Liverpool skyline as it appeared at the time to help jog memories.
An enhanced reward of £20,000 from the independent charity Crimestoppers is currently being offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
Detective Inspector Davies said: “It is unfathomable that 32 years after her death Julie’s killer remains at large.”
“It is heartbreaking that Julie’s sister and dad have both died during that time and never got the answers they so keenly sought.
“We know that there are people who know what happened to Julie and whether through fear or a misplaced sense of loyalty have never come forward.
“Our hope is that this appeal will finally be the catalyst for those people to speak up. It really is never too late.”
Timeline of Events
DI Davies added: “What we do know is that on Friday 5 August 1994 Julie went to her parent’s house in Dovecot where she spent time with her mum and sister. She then returned to her flat, which was off Falkner Square in Liverpool, where she spent time with her boyfriend and another friend.
“She left the flat at around 10pm and headed into Liverpool city centre. At around 10.30pm she saw a friend on Grove Street and mentioned she was meeting someone at 11pm. There was later a suspected sighting of Julie on Crown Street after a woman matching her description was seen to run across the road towards a male. That male has never been identified.
“The last confirmed sighting of Julie was at 11.45pm outside the former Stag’s Head pub on Pembroke Place. Her body was found the following morning some distance away in Rainford so we know she must have been taken there in a vehicle.
“Witnesses at the time reported seeing a white Transit van parked in the layby off the Rainford bypass. We have not been able to identity the van or who was driving.
“My appeal is to anyone who thinks they saw Julie on that evening, has information about the male she was seen with on Crown Street or knows who was driving the white van to come forward.
“It may be three decades since Julie’s death but our investigation remains active and we will follow up any new lines of enquiry and consider any advances in forensic work such as DNA.
“Julie’s family deserve to know that her killer has been caught and is behind bars.”
Crimestoppers Appeal
Pamela Tompsett, North West Regional Manager at the charity Crimestoppers, said: "More than three decades on, Julie’s family are still waiting for answers. Julie was a daughter, a sister and only 23 years old, and the people who loved her have lived with this loss every day since.
“We know that time can change things. Relationships end, loyalties shift and people who once felt unable to speak up may now feel differently. If you know something, however small or long ago it seems, please don’t assume it isn’t important. It could be the piece that helps police finally put the picture together.
“A reward of up to £20,000 is available for information given exclusively to Crimestoppers that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.
“You never have to give your name. You will never be asked to make a statement or go to court, and no one will ever know the information came from you.”
Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk using X or Facebook @MerPolCC. Reports can also be made via the Merseyside Police website or by calling 101. Alternatively, contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via their website.
Crimewatch Live will be broadcast on BBC One at 10.45am today, Wednesday 21 October. The full appeal will also be available on BBC iPlayer.
In a family tribute, Julie’s mother said: "Julie was only 23 when she was murdered. She was my second oldest child and growing up she was the perfect daughter. She went to college and studied hairdressing.
“32 years have passed and there has been no justice for Julie. Her father, my husband Albie, died without ever seeing justice. He died with a broken heart.
“Julie and I had a great relationship, and I miss her every day. I always think about the life she could have had, she might have been married with her own children.
“As a family we have waited far too long to find out who killed Julie.”
