THE murder of a sex shop manager who was brutally strangled, doused in petrol and left in a pool of blood may finally be solved 40 years later.
Sandra Phillips, 37, was killed while at work in Swansea on June 14, 1985.
The horror attack took place on Dillwyn Street, Swansea in 1985[/caption]
The mother-of-four was murdered aged just 37[/caption]
An extensive re-investigation of the murder was launched in 2004, but all lines of enquiry were eventually exhausted.
But South Wales Police feel hopeful that they may be able to bring justice for Sandra and her family 40 years on from her tragic death.
They said a pieces of evidence have been submitted for forensic testing.
The force has had considerable success with cold cases since establishing its review team in 1999.
Det Ch Insp Claire Lamerton, head of the South Wales Police review unit, said: “We hope that the outcome of the forensic review will give us the opportunity to bring justice for Sandra’s family who we have informed of this new work.
“Even though four decades have passed, I appeal to anyone who has any information about Sandra’s death to come forward.”
The mother-of-four was beaten and strangled in a horror attack at the sex shop she managed on Dillwyn Street.
She was later found lying dead in a pool of her own blood.
Her body had also been doused in petrol.
Police said it knew customers had come and gone before she was brutally murdered at around 11am.
She was found soon after by the store’s area manager who made a routine call to the Dillwyn Street premises at 1:45pm
The shop had been locked from the outside and Sandra’s keys were never recovered.
A number of unidentified fingerprints were also found at the scene, while a telephone handset that was mounted on the wall behind the counter has mysteriously vanished.
Neath brothers Wayne and Paul Darvell were wrongly convicted of the murder and spent seven years in prison before being released in 1992.
Anyone with information can contact South Wales Police quoting 2300205091
This comes after The Sun reported on a major break through on another unsolved murder case.
Kevin Childerley, 30, was killed in his bedroom at his home in Mansfield Woodhouse, Nottinghamshire on February 19, 1990.
In June this year, cops launched a fresh appeal to catch the killers and bring justice to Kevin.
Detective Chief Inspector Ruby Burrow, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: “This was a savage attack which took the life of a much-loved father and left his wife with lifelong injuries.
“The case has never been closed and a dedicated team of detectives has been reinvestigating what happened that night using the latest investigative tools and technology.
“Following recent developments we have visited the neighbourhood to engage with a number of people we believe could help with our inquiries.
“It was a very positive exercise and I’d like to thank people for their cooperation.
“The arrest is also an important development and we have shared the news with Denise and other family members.
“We know the answer to Kevin’s murder lies within the community and we also believe allegiances and loyalties will have changed after the passing of more than three decades.
“I’d continue to encourage anyone with any information, no matter how small, to please continue to get in touch with our officers or anonymously through Crimestoppers.”
