Why Sheffield jury rejected Teresa Shephard's killer's explanations of why her blood was in his car
A man was convicted of murder despite a body never being found
Teresa Shephard was described as a “bubbly” 26-year-old before her murder at the hands of her ex, Peter Turner.
Prosecution lawyers told the 1996 trial which ended with the jailing of 24-year-old Turner, who lived at the time at Doncaster Road, Worksop, that he was a “possessive and obsessive” ex-lover.
Reports from the case at the time from Sheffield Crown Court reveal that the jury was told how Teresa met him in 1992, and they had been involved with an “on-off” relationship.
And Roger Keen QC told Sheffield Crown Court, that Teresa, from Jaunty Crescent, Basegreen, had vanished after telling her ex she had found a new love.
The jury heard that Turner had already come close to killing Teresa’s new love when he attacked him with a hammer after posing as a prospective buyer for a house the new boyfriend was selling.
Her new love suffered a fractured skull after the attack which Turner had claimed was in self defence.
Teresa had been due to give evidence in the trial over the attack.
Mr Keen told the jury at the time: "He uttered the words which you may find are very chilling - 'no-one will have her for good'."
When Turner was told police had found what appeared to be Teresa's blood in his car his "mind went into overdrive" to explain it, the jury heard.
He did not know where the blood had been found, and had to find an explanation, said Mr Keen.
Turner had claimed they had sex in the car during her period.
Teresa's body was never found.
Now police hope that it may soon found, potentially providing some closure for her family.