Fresh appeal for clues in Wath killing

The body of Brian Metcalfe (43) was found under a bridge on Station Road in Wath on Sunday, October 14, 2001.

Dave Stopford, head of South Yorkshire Police’s major incident review team, said: “We remain committed to bringing the person responsible for Brian’s death to justice.”

Postmortem results showed Brian had been assaulted and may have died two days before his body was found.

Brian was well known in the Wath area and detectives believe he had been out in pubs before he was attacked.

His sister Susan Butcher said: “Twenty years on, still not a day goes by that we do not think of Brian. We continue to grieve for him.

“Brian was incredibly loved by us all and we miss him deeply. Please give us the chance to heal and have closure by providing us with the answers we have craved for two decades.

“If you have any information, please get in touch.”

It is believed that the local community holds the key to the murder case, Mr Stopford said.

He added: “I’d like to specifically appeal to anyone who thinks they may have been out in Wath between Friday, October 12, and Sunday, October 14, 2001, who may have seen Brian, to contact us.

“Were you out near Station Road that weekend? Did you see Brian, who was 5ft 8ins tall and of a stocky build? He was wearing a black leather jacket and black denim jeans.

“It may seem challenging to recall details from 20 years ago, but no matter how small or insignificant you think the information you hold is, it could prove vital to our investigation and could help provide Brian’s family with much needed closure.

“Twenty years without answers has been absolute agony for them. Please if you hold information, it is not too late to do the right thing after all this time and come forward.”

The force has regularly reviewed the case. There have been arrests but no-one was ever charged with the murder.

Anyone with information is urged to call 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 500 111.