Name put forward to cops as potential suspect over murder of Sheffield mum Michaela Hague
Detectives investigating the unsolved murder of a Sheffield mum have been given a name of a potential suspect.
Michaela Hague died following a frenzied knife attack 24 years ago - and her killer has never been caught.
The 25-year-old was described as a ‘lovely and beautiful daughter’ by her heartbroken parents following her brutal murder on November 5, 2001.
She was working as a prostitute to fund a heroin habit when she was picked up by a punter in Bower Street in the city centre and driven to an isolated car park on nearby Spitalfields, off Nursery Street.
Michaela, who had a five year old son, was stabbed 19 times in her neck and back and left for dead.
New development
Last year, South Yorkshire Police was contacted by someone with suspicions about who the killer may be.
The information was passed on anonymously.
The Star can now reveal that over recent months, officers from South Yorkshire Police have now spoken to that member of the public about their suspicions.
It is understood that the man whose name has been 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 Star understands that when spoken to by the police in the wake of Michaela’s murder, the man provided a routine mouth swab.
The Star asked the force 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.
The coroner who carried out an inquest into Michaela's death did say at the time that he hoped advances in DNA would eventually help cops crack the case.
Recording a verdict that Michaela was unlawfully killed, Christopher Dorries said at the time: "As science and technology improves every day the evidence to identify Ms Hague's killer will very likely become apparent – her killer will be found, it may be soon, it may be in five years"
Police statement
Responding to questions about the name put forward, Chris Singleton, head of the major incident review team, 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.”
Background to the case
A fellow sex worker who found Michaela’s body slumped on the ground and raised the alarm, told police that she saw an old-style Ford Sierra driving away from the scene.
Michaela herself also managed to pass on some vital information to the first police officer who arrived on the scene - PC Richard Twigg.
She told the officers that her attacker was white, clean-shaven, wore a wedding ring and where he picked her up from.
She said he was around 38-year-old, about 6ft and was wearing a blue fleece and glasses.
The murder investigation which followed Michaela’s death was one of the biggest ever mounted by SouthYorkshire Police, with more than 10,000 people interviewed.
In the first few months it led officers up and down 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.
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.
Michaela's heartbroken parents only found out that Michaela had been working as a prostitute for three months when police broke the news that she had died.
Weeping at a press conference, they said their daughter was a loving child from a caring family.
"She was a lovely, beautiful daughter, "said Mrs Hague, who said the murder had ripped their family apart.
Previous appeals
On the 10th anniversary of the murder, Michaela's partner, Mick Holmes, urged anyone with information to come forward, fearing the killer could strike again.
"There can be no bigger sin than taking a mother away from her child,” he said.
“He has caused a huge amount of damage to me, our son and Michaela's family.
"What he did to Michaela, something so savage, is not the kind of thing somebody just does once – I'm convinced he has either done it before or will do it again, although I pray he doesn't so that no other family has to go through what we have.
"I just want him locked up –I would rest a lot easier knowing he wasn't out there able to do this again. My one fear is he will do it again."
How to contact police
Anyone with information that may assist the investigation into the killing of Michaela Hague, or anyone with concerns regarding the sex work industry, is encouraged to contact the police on 101 or via the South Yorkshire Police website.
Crimestoppers can also be contacted, anonymously. on 0800 555 111.