10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

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Northern_Star

I can't believe it's ten years ago today since Janet was murdered on her way home from Preston.

I always remember when it happened because during the day of 15th June, 1996, the bomb went off in Manchester and whilst Janet was out shopping in Preston with a friend she called into a church and lit a candle for all the people who had been injured in the bomb attack. Little did she know that that night she would be murdered on her way home from a girls night out.

My husband and I were out that night, queued up for a taxi outside Tokyo Joes and we would have been outside there the same time as Janet was. We got in our taxi and went home. When we arrived home I'd left my key in the taxi so we had to wait for about half an hour before the taxi driver could drop it off to us. During that time, we found out later, Janet was murdered. We can see the river from our house and live literally only minutes away from where she was murdered. It made me feel so sad when I found out we would have been laughing and joking waiting for our key to be dropped off whilst this young lady lost her life.

The 10 years have flown by but I'm sure it must still just feel like yesterday that it happened to her parents.
 
It's a sad story, doesn't time fly past. I once delivered papers to Janet's parents house in Penwortham, so it was sad to see Janet go.

R.I.P Janet Murgatroyd.
 
Its one of those things that sticks in the memory, I was playing cricket on the Sunday and one of the opposing players was a DC, he got called away just as the game started as a body had been found by the river.

A dreadful story when the details came out and my heart goes out to her family and friends every time I hear her name

Was anyone ever convicted in the end ?
 
Juan Kerr said:
Its one of those things that sticks in the memory, I was playing cricket on the Sunday and one of the opposing players was a DC, he got called away just as the game started as a body had been found by the river.

A dreadful story when the details came out and my heart goes out to her family and friends every time I hear her name

Was anyone ever convicted in the end ?
I'm sure it was her boyfriend in the end, I could be wrong.
 
Northern_Star said:
I can't believe it's ten years ago today since Janet was murdered on her way home from Preston.

I always remember when it happened because during the day of 15th June, 1996, the bomb went off in Manchester and whilst Janet was out shopping in Preston with a friend she called into a church and lit a candle for all the people who had been injured in the bomb attack. Little did she know that that night she would be murdered on her way home from a girls night out.

My husband and I were out that night, queued up for a taxi outside Tokyo Joes and we would have been outside there the same time as Janet was. We got in our taxi and went home. When we arrived home I'd left my key in the taxi so we had to wait for about half an hour before the taxi driver could drop it off to us. During that time, we found out later, Janet was murdered. We can see the river from our house and live literally only minutes away from where she was murdered. It made me feel so sad when I found out we would have been laughing and joking waiting for our key to be dropped off whilst this young lady lost her life.

The 10 years have flown by but I'm sure it must still just feel like yesterday that it happened to her parents.

Sorry I put this on yesterday....friend had been on computer and I hadn't realised they had not logged out 😱 I also got the date wrong...I always remember it because of the Manchester bombings but of course they went off in the afternoon of 15th, Janet was murdered in the early hours of 16th, sorry.

There's an article in today's LEP about the fella who got charged with her murder...apparently he's spoken out for the first time, I don't think he was her boyfriend Atky, though her ex-boyfriend was also questioned at the time:-

http://www.prestontoday.net/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=73&ArticleID=1569780
 
Hasn't it gone fast? For us anyway, I'm sure Janet's family will disagree. It was such a tragedy. I started at All Hallows High School in Penwortham in September 1996 and I remember there was a tribute to her because she had gone there, too. I was also at St Mary Magdelene's Primary, just off Leyland Road in Lower Penwortham, quite close to where her body was found and I remember all the commotion that day.
R.I.P. Janet
 
The fact that nobody has been convicted for this vicious assault and killing, means that the killer is still at large, but do the police know who it was?
This is why I ask..
From the LEP article 'Travesty of justice' victim speaks
Andrew Greenwood, 32, was at the centre of the investigation after he admitted killing the popular 20-year-old.
He later retracted the confession, claiming his mental health problems at the time had led him to believe he carried out the killing.
He was convicted of manslaughter, but the conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal.
Despite this, police are not seeking anyone else in connection with Janet's killing.

Then in a relating article it says 10 years ago Janet Murgatroyd was found murdered...and the hunt for her killer still goes on (very disturbing reading in that article, likely to upset.)
So you see, I just don't get it. The way I see it is that the police believe Greenwood did it, but the police can't prove it because of the DNA from the hairs found on Janet, don't match the DNA of Greenwood.
However, the hairs found on Janet, perhaps could have been picked up from the hustle and bustle of city centre revelling, no?
 
The story that has circulated Penwortham over the years is that Greenwood didn't do it and the main suspect is the ex-boyfriend. He can't be convicted because he is dead.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

I remember singing at her rememberance mass. Was in second year at All Hallows. Our then RE teacher, her form tutor MR Callaghan and then her head of year (who was later my RE teacher) Mr Varey gave very moving speeches about her.

Such a tragic waste, and I will never forget the atmosphere that was over school. Even those of us that had never met her felt it.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

Was the day when Engand beat Scotland in Euro 96, two of me mates were the last known people speak to her, near the train station, if only she'd got a cab home with them instead. 🙁

Tragic. 🙁
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

Remember it well, even though was 11 at time. Walk home from town that way myself, across Penwortham Bridge and all. Could have been anyone that night. Tragic.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

My dad was one of the family liasion officers on that murder and it really hit him hard for a number of months after he had finished the trial. It really was a terrible shame and some of the details i heard were terrib;le. I always rememeber seeing my dad on crimewatch in a white saftey suit searching the river banks for clues.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

i went to school with janet its terrible that no one has been caught
RIP Janet
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

Ten years before Janet was murdered I was eating a very fine bacon burger at penwortham bridge burger van with friends when a young lady was crossing the bridge ( It was after closing time ).

She stopped a number of times while walking.... As did the older male 20 yards behind her. This happened on at least three times that she stopped. She carried on and he still followed. My friends and I spotted what was occuring and started shouting at him calling him a perv and all that. After a while we got in the car and asked the girl if he was following her. She confirmed he was. We went back and threatened to give him a good hiding if he didnt turn round and fuck off. He did and we waited till the girl was well up the hill before we left.

It has always been in the back of my mind that this man could have been the killer and that we could have saved 1 girl from a horrific injury.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

I think the police did try hard with their enquiries. It came to pass that about 4 suspects captured on CCTV that night needed eliminating from their list and it transpired that me & my mate had been at a party on Priory Lane with one of them when he left to walk back to Preston with a lot of pop & agro towards his ex-girlfriend in his veins. Several months later, Leyland Police came to interview us at the flat we were sharing in Liverpool. We wanted to be as helpful as we could, but it's amazing how little one remembers of a house party with, to be fair, only the average amount of too much booze months later. We got a taxi back to Preston over Penwortham Bridge at 3ish that night - all was quiet, and thought nothing of it. The suspect we were interviewed in connection with was subsequently eliminated from the police enquiries - but curiously, not from my suspicions. I could have imagined him doing it, judging from the bruises his ex was wearing that night, but hey, I'm no expert.
 
Re: 10 Year Anniversary Of The Murder Of Janet Murgatroyd.

When someone is acquitted because their trial is deemed to be 'unsafe' it does not mean they are 'not guilty' of that crime.

tg
 
I remember it well. I was a student living on Connaught Road not far from the river and where Janet was found. That day was the Manchester bombing and fortunately I went up north to my boyfriends parents in Cumbria that day. I read at the time that Janet was meant to be in Manchester that day shopping, and I always think she was meant to pass that day whether in Manchester or Preston.
So very sad and I often go online hoping that the killer has been caught.
I used to walk quite often from the train station down the main road and turn left at the bridge to go home.
After the murder took a taxi instead!

The Police must know something - but evidence is key. I've been reading some of the theories on here and find them interesting and plausible.
RIP Janet.
 
Very sad case and as stated i dont think the police are looking very far for the killer..its just evidence thats needed
 
29 years now England v Scotland Euros
Played cricket at Caton that day red hot day
Still surprised by the fact that apparently someone was water skiing down the Ribble
 
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