OkieGranny
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UK UK - Tracey Mertens, 31, Birmingham, 23 Dec 1994
- Thread starter OkieGranny
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Legally Bland
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The car should be pretty distinctive, from memory I don't think there were many of that model escort still on the roads in 1994.
http://i1.manchestereveningnews.co....icle12363072.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/tracey2.jpg
http://i1.manchestereveningnews.co....icle12363072.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/tracey2.jpg
A more up to date report from last year on the 25th anniversary of her murder.
Brutal murder of innocent mum that remains unsolved after 25 years
Brutal murder of innocent mum that remains unsolved after 25 years
Yes, it really is one of the most horrific crimes I’m aware of. It always stuck with me after seeing the reconstruction on Crimewatch. I can understand why people might be scared to come forward to. The perpetrators here are extremely dangerous.
I find it surprising that her ex partner denies that it had anything to do with him, when we know the people that abducted Tracey were specifically asking for his whereabouts. She didn’t want to reveal his location to them because he was at their new home with their young children and for this she paid the ultimate price. I think this was a deliberate message from the killers to him. It sounds like he had some major drug debts which had forced them to relocate.
This website has more detail, it tells of how Tracey was acting strangely before being kidnapped, taping up her letterbox etc. It also says that their old house had the word ‘Death’ smeared on the window weeks before she returned to it and was later abducted. I think she knew there were dangerous people after her partner. It’s just surprising to me that she risked returning to that house at all.
The 1994 Heinous Murder of Young Mother Tracey Mertens ~True Crime Diva
Wowno17
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It was very risky her returning but she had stayed somewhere else the night before and had gone there the next and was only there for 10 minutes so she was extremely unlucky in that respect.
These evil people must have been watching the house, or even more sadly someone may have tipped them off that she was there.
I truly hope this case lady gets the justice she deserves.
MOO
Dec 2019 rbbm.
Big, fat and Birmingham accents - suspected kidnappers after mum's killing
Tracey Mertens
''Two men barged into her house demanding to know where Joey was.
When Tracey wouldn't answer, she was blindfolded, bundled into a tatty yellow Ford Escort and driven 70 miles to the village of Eaton in Cheshire.
She described her abductors as two black men around 30-years-old, big and fat in build with Birmingham accents, who also spoke in a foreign language, which police believe was the Jamaican dialect Patois.''
''Around five hours after she was snatched from her old house, a passer-by heard Tracey crying for help on the steps of the church after she had been set on fire.
Despite the bitterly cold night, her clothes were still smouldering, and her burns were so horrific her rescuer said he initially thought she was wearing a costume.
A petrol canister was later recovered by police nearby.
Tracey fought long enough in hospital to give detectives as much information on her abduction as she could - but she died around 12 hours later.''
Big, fat and Birmingham accents - suspected kidnappers after mum's killing
Tracey Mertens
''Two men barged into her house demanding to know where Joey was.
When Tracey wouldn't answer, she was blindfolded, bundled into a tatty yellow Ford Escort and driven 70 miles to the village of Eaton in Cheshire.
She described her abductors as two black men around 30-years-old, big and fat in build with Birmingham accents, who also spoke in a foreign language, which police believe was the Jamaican dialect Patois.''
''Around five hours after she was snatched from her old house, a passer-by heard Tracey crying for help on the steps of the church after she had been set on fire.
Despite the bitterly cold night, her clothes were still smouldering, and her burns were so horrific her rescuer said he initially thought she was wearing a costume.
A petrol canister was later recovered by police nearby.
Tracey fought long enough in hospital to give detectives as much information on her abduction as she could - but she died around 12 hours later.''
An episode of BBC’s Modern Times entitled ‘Tracy and Joey’ aired in 1996 and by the sounds of things it had lots of unseen footage of them and went into more detail about their relationship. I have looked but unfortunately cannot find it anywhere online.
All I can find is this review of it which gives some good details:
Television review
and this website which says you can request a preview of it:
Doc series abt how we live tday. The story of Joey - his addiction to... Stock Footage Video - Getty Images
There is also a VERY short clip from it here:
I know it’s a long shot but does anyone remember seeing this?
All I can find is this review of it which gives some good details:
Television review
and this website which says you can request a preview of it:
Doc series abt how we live tday. The story of Joey - his addiction to... Stock Footage Video - Getty Images
There is also a VERY short clip from it here:
I know it’s a long shot but does anyone remember seeing this?
Last edited:
Iv put in a request as I would like a digital copy, if anybody has got this or could help me get in touch with Nick who worked on the modern times program that would be a huge help..Tracy and Joey are my parents, Joey passed June 2020 still claiming he had no idea why this happened, so many many answers are still unclear, and left a family in tatters.
Iv never commented on forums or threads regarding anything really, but I saw you was looking for the video as I was, thank you
Welcome to Ws DK82, although sad about the reason that brought you here, hopefully there will soon be some movement in the case!
Hello and welcome to the forum. I hope you are one day able to get some justice for this cruel and wicked crime. I also put in a request on Getty for a preview of the documentary but they never responded unfortunately. I didn’t see the doc at the time either but do remember the crime when it was originally featured on Crimewatch, it really upset me and it’s always stuck with me.
If I am able to somehow get a copy of the Modern Times episode you will be the first to know.
My deepest sympathies are with you and your family.
D
Deleted member 282971
Guest
I have sent you a PM
thank you, I got a reply from Getty unfortunately they don’t release copies for ‘personal’ use only for media and such, I do have family members who have vhs copies, full copy and a edited version with the photos of my mother injured removed so I may have to go down the jessop route to get them converted, Iv now spoke to Nick and he has put in a request to the bbc to see if they still have any unused material but we don’t think that the bbc kept the stock from that far back or even covered it to digital, it’s a very painful watch for myself and I dont think I would even want to watch it again I would just like to own a copy myself and have it for my children if they ever wanted to watch it later in life.
thank you for the reply
hopefully one day, alliances change with time so I still have hope.
thank you for your reply
Brutal murder of innocent mum that remains unsolved after 25 years
•Dec 19, 2019
''Blindfolded, bundled into a car and then set alight by her killers, an innocent mum-of two was found badly burned on the steps of a Cheshire church. It was a case that shocked the nation - and 25 years on, police are still searching for the two men responsible for Tracey Mertens' murder. From her hospital bed, the 31-year-old bravely shared with officers the gruesome details of her final 24 hours - but she passed away from her horrific injuries on Christmas Eve in 1994. Two days before, she had left her new home in Rochdale, where she was from, to pick up her benefits book from her old house in Birmingham. Tracey had just moved back to the north with her on-off partner Joey Kavanagh, and their two children Kelly, aged 11, and Daniel, 12. Her family said the couple, who first got together when they were 16, had a strained relationship at times - and drug user Joey owed people money. Tracey was supposed to make the trip to her old home in Cattells Grove and back to Rochdale in the same day - but ended up staying overnight nearby with her sister-in-law. The next morning, Tracey had only been in her old Birmingham home for around 10 minutes when she answered a knock at the door. Two men barged into her house demanding to know where Joey was. When Tracey wouldn't answer, she was blindfolded, bundled into a tatty yellow Ford Escort and driven 70 miles to the village of Eaton in Cheshire. She described her abductors as two black men around 30-years-old, big and fat in build with Birmingham accents, who also spoke in a foreign language, which police believe was the Jamaican dialect Patois. Around five hours after she was snatched from her old house, a passer-by heard Tracey crying for help on the steps of the church after she had been set on fire. Despite the bitterly cold night, her clothes were still smouldering, and her burns were so horrific her rescuer said he initially thought she was wearing a costume. A petrol canister was later recovered by police nearby. Tracey fought long enough in hospital to give detectives as much information on her abduction as she could - but she died around 12 hours later. Doctors say the burns covered 95 per cent of her body. Police have interviewed thousands of people during their investigations and made multiple public appeals - but her killers have never been charged. Joey Kavanagh has always maintained he was not the cause of her murder. In 2009, Cheshire Police reopened the case after advances in technology got them a DNA profile of the men they are after. Tracey's murder was reconstructed on the BBC's Crimewatch and her family spoke of their pain. Her daughter Kelly told the programme: "The happiest times of my life were with my mum, the memories I've got with her. I've been through so much on my own when she should have been there. "She deserves to be at peace. I don't think she ever will be until these people are caught."
•Dec 19, 2019
Mrs Marple
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I think it very likely they either threatened or paid the neighbours to let them know if anyone returned.
June 2021
Six cold case mysteries that haunt Britain - Torso in Thames and Playboy Bunny
''Mum blindfolded and torched in church
Tracey Mertens endured a "violent and horrific death" on December 23, 1994 - blindfolded, doused in petrol and set on fire in a Cheshire churchyard.
The 31-year-old was found dying but was able to describe her two attackers to police before passing away in hospital.
Mum-of-two Tracey Mertens was found dying after being blindfolded, doused in petrol and set on fire in 1994
The mum-of-two said her assailants were "two black men around 30-years-old, big and fat in build with Birmingham accents", according to Manchester Evening News.
Yet despite police describing it as "vital information", no one has ever been charged over her death.
Tracey lived in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, with her kids and partner Joey Kavanagh, allegedly an in-debt drug user with whom she had a strained relationship.
Joey had travelled to Birmingham on the day of her murder, and according to police, two men had knocked on Tracey's door asking where he was.
She was then blindfolded and dragged to the churchyard in a yellow Ford Escort.
Five hours later, she was found by a passer by covered in 95 per cent burns - with investigators later finding a petrol canister nearby.''
Six cold case mysteries that haunt Britain - Torso in Thames and Playboy Bunny
''Mum blindfolded and torched in church
Tracey Mertens endured a "violent and horrific death" on December 23, 1994 - blindfolded, doused in petrol and set on fire in a Cheshire churchyard.
The 31-year-old was found dying but was able to describe her two attackers to police before passing away in hospital.
Mum-of-two Tracey Mertens was found dying after being blindfolded, doused in petrol and set on fire in 1994
The mum-of-two said her assailants were "two black men around 30-years-old, big and fat in build with Birmingham accents", according to Manchester Evening News.
Yet despite police describing it as "vital information", no one has ever been charged over her death.
Tracey lived in Rochdale, Greater Manchester, with her kids and partner Joey Kavanagh, allegedly an in-debt drug user with whom she had a strained relationship.
Joey had travelled to Birmingham on the day of her murder, and according to police, two men had knocked on Tracey's door asking where he was.
She was then blindfolded and dragged to the churchyard in a yellow Ford Escort.
Five hours later, she was found by a passer by covered in 95 per cent burns - with investigators later finding a petrol canister nearby.''