Detectives in Diane Sindall murder case probing 32 men as search continues for the ‘Real beast of Birkenhead'
Diane, 21, was brutally murdered in 1986 but prosecutors locked up the wrong man for almost four decades in one of the worst miscarriages of justice seen in this country.
Forty years after the murder of Diane Sindall in Birkenhead, Merseyside, detectives have told LBC they remain hopeful someone will come forward with the crucial information to identify her killer.
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Diane, 21, was brutally murdered in the early hours of Saturday 2 August 1986, but prosecutors locked up the wrong man for almost four decades in one of the worst miscarriages of justice seen in this country.
Diane had been working at a pub in nearby Bebington on the Wirral and was driving home when her van ran out of petrol.
Her body was discovered by a member of the public in an alleyway off Borough Road several hours later.
She had been sexually assaulted and suffered extensive injuries.
Peter Sullivan, now 69, was wrongly convicted of Diane’s murder and served 38 years behind bars - despite consistently protesting his innocence.
Following advances in forensic science, the investigation into Diane’s murder was reopened in 2023 after new DNA evidence was confirmed to be a match for a different man.
Mr Sullivan’s lawyer, Sarah Myatt, told LBC: “He's not angry, he's not bitter, which I think is all credit to him. It's a reflection of the person that he is.
"He's a really, really positive person. He just wants to enjoy the rest of his life, experience things, go places, and just enjoy his freedom. That said, he has times where things are really quite difficult."
Detective Superintendent Rachel Wilson told LBC the search for Diane’s killer continues, she said: “It’s 40 years on, I accept that, but we're talking about contempt for criminality, and for me that's about actually getting justice for victims that we deal with. Whether that's 40 years on or it's now, that's what I'm really invested in, and what's right for Diane.
"The community of Birkenhead, lots of women I've spoken to have been impacted by this in terms of they recall the time, they recall not feeling safe when they've been out on the streets. Even now, you know, people talk about that violence against women and girls, and women should feel safe. So that's what drives me and the team to make sure actually we do everything we can to identify who the killer is of Diane."
Extensive enquiries, including working with the National Crime Agency to identify the person the DNA profile belongs to, remains ongoing.
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A Crimestoppers reward of up to £20,000 for information given exclusively to the charity that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Diane’s murder remains in place.
DS Wilson added: “In 1986 DNA was very much in the early stages and as such was not available to the detectives who originally investigated Diane’s death but her murder was fully investigated by the team.
“We believe the DNA profile will be key to finding the killer and to date have eliminated 575 people with 32 currently under review.
“It is also possible that someone could hold information about the identity of Diane’s killer but either through fear or a misplaced sense of loyalty has not yet come forward.
“To those people I would say please have the courage to tell us what you know.”
Anyone with information should contact Merseyside Police social media desk via X or Facebook @MerPolCC. You can also report information via our website: https://www.merseyside.police.uk/ro/report/ocr/af/how-to-report-a-crime/ or by calling 101.