Brian Metcalfe murder: Family offer reward and issue plea for help to crack case

Brian Metcalfe, aged 43, was found dead under a bridge on Station Road, Wath, Rotherham, on Sunday October 14, 2001.

A post mortem examination revealed he had been assaulted, and may have died two days earlier.

Nobody has ever been charged.

COURT: Driver who killed best friends from Sheffield was overtaking on a blind bend at 90mph

Brian’s family is offering a reward for information which may lead to a conviction.

Detectives believe Brian had been on a night out in the pubs in Wath before the attack and that the key to cracking the murder “lies in the Wath community”.

Two decades on from the murder, 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.

“We believe that the local community holds key information that might help us understand what happened to Brian in the hours leading up to his death.

“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 twenty 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.”

LATEST: Sheffield couple in court for stealing £95,000 from woman with dementia

Brian’s 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.”