Murder of Sheffield woman unsolved as 25th anniversary of knife attack approaches
The murder has been unsolved for 25 years
As Bonfire Night approaches, the family and friends of a Sheffield woman face another agonising anniversary, knowing that after 25 years her killer is still not behind bars.
Michaela Hague was stabbed to death on November 5, 2001, but nobody has ever been charged with her murder.
The 25-year-old, described as a “lovely and beautiful daughter” by her heartbroken parents following the fatal stabbing, had just started working as a prostitute to fund a drug habit when she was brutally attacked.
The mum-of-one was stabbed 19 times.
Michaela got into a car in Bower Street in the city centre and was driven to an isolated car park on nearby Spitalfields, off Nursery Street, just before she was attacked.
A fellow sex worker who found Michaela raised the alarm and told police that an old-style blue Ford Sierra had just driven away.
Michaela managed to pass on some vital information to the first police officer to arrive at the scene - PC Richard Twigg.
She told the officer her attacker was white and clean-shaven. She said he wore a wedding ring and explained where he had picked her up from.
The murder investigation which followed Michaela’s death was one of the biggest ever mounted by South Yorkshire Police at that time, with more than 10,000 people interviewed.
In the first few months, officers travelled the length and breadth of the county as they traced the owners of all the registered blue Ford Sierras in circulation at that time, hoping to find the killer.
Officers also produced E-fits of Michaela's killer, which were circulated nationally and screened on the BBC's Crimewatch programme - but to no avail.
For years, detectives re-appealed for information to help them crack the case on the anniversary of the murder, but the killer continues to evade justice today.
In 2006, detectives revealed that they had followed up 10,500 lines of inquiry, interviewed 7,400 people and eliminated 3,662 owners or drivers of Ford Sierras at that point.
In 2024, South Yorkshire Police was contacted bya member of the public with suspicions about who the killer may be.
It is understood that the man whose name was put forward was spoken to at his home shortly after Michaela’s murder and that he gave an alibi.
It has been suggested to South Yorkshire Police that the alibi may have been false.
The man has not been arrested as a result of the tip-off.
The Star understands that when spoken to by police in the wake of Michaela’s murder, the man provided a routine mouth swab.
The coroner who carried out an inquest into Michaela's death said at the time that he hoped advances in DNA would eventually help cops crack the case.
The Star previously asked South Yorkshire Police if swabs had been cross-checked again over the years against exhibits seized at the time of Michaela’s death, such as clothing, and whether those exhibits had been retained by SYP.
In November 2025, responding to all the questions about the name put forward, Chris Singleton, head of the major incident review team then, said: “Michaela Hague and her loved ones remain at the forefront of our minds ... and we remain committed to finding answers and bringing those responsible for her death to justice.
“Any unresolved case committed within South Yorkshire is constantly subject to review.
“This is partly reliant on new information coming to light or fresh intelligence being submitted to us by members of the public. We also constantly review advancements in forensic sciences to establish whether they could assist our enquiries.
“SYP has a dedicated major incident review team meaning all unresolved cases remain active. We allocate resources to investigate new information accordingly and take all lines of enquiry extremely seriously.
“We want to thank those who have previously contacted us with information about Michaela's death and would urge anyone who may be able to help with our enquiries, but is yet to come forward, to please do so by calling 101 or reporting online.
“Information can be reported completely anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111, or by visiting their website.”
The Star has contacted South Yorkshire Police about the case again as the 25th anniversary of the murder approaches.