Dawn Shields murder: Police update on hunt for 19-year-old Sheffield woman's killer

Police say they have not given up on finding the killer of murdered Sheffield woman Dawn Shields, 30 years after her tragic death.

Dawn was aged just 19 when she died, her body found in a shallow grave near Mam Tor in the Peak District several days after she had gone missing after being picked up in a car in Broomhall, Sheffield.

Her sister, Mandy, has called for police to start the investigation again from scratch, feeling that new avenues needed to be pursued to find the killer.

Now police said they have not given up on the case, and that the investigation remains open.

Dave Stopford, head of the South Yorkshire Police major incident review team, said that the force’s investigation into the tragic death of Dawn, from Pitsmoor, in May 1994 remains open.

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He said: “We continue to review ongoing forensic enquiries, as well as appropriately pursuing new lines of enquiry and are in contact with Dawn’s family.

"Officers in our specialist Major Incident Review Team are dedicated to the investigation of the most serious unsolved crimes in South Yorkshire.

"We will continue to work to progress this investigation and our thoughts remain with the family, friends and loved ones of Dawn at the 30 year anniversary of her death."

Dawn was a former pupil at St John’s Church of England School near Wybourn.

Her sister Mandy, speaking to The Star last week, described Dawn as one of the kindest, gentlest, people.

She added: “She was funny, even her friend still puts things up to this day saying she misses her crazy cooking because she’d make a dinner out of absolutely nowt. She’d come up with some concoction. She loved life. She was always happy. She loved my son and used to babysit for me. She was always at my house.”

However, Dawn later started to take drugs, and was working as a sex worker when she died.

Mandy says she would love for someone to be brought to justice so her mother, who now suffers from vascular dementia, could see it.

Anyone with information that could help the police investigation should contact South Yorkshire Police.