Sister of man presumed murdered 30 years ago still hopes to see him again as police close case

Andrew Bedford was last seen alive in the town on September 28 1990, with detectives believing the 27-year-old was shot and murdered. However, in the past 30 years no evidence has been uncovered to show Andrew is either alive or dead.

A cold case investigation into the disappearance was launched five years ago, and while a number of arrests were made, no charges were ever brought.

Last week Andrew’s family were told the investigation was being closed down.

Speaking to the Peterborough Telegraph, Andrew’s youngest sister Linda Adley (51) said she believed Andrew could still be alive - and had not given up hope of seeing him again.

She said: “I can still see him and hear him. Whenever the police get in touch, I have dreams that Andrew turns up and knocks on the back door. We still live in the same house where we grew up.

“Until recently, I still brought Christmas presents for him.

“I believe he was given money to go and live abroad. Thirty years ago it was easy to buy a new ID. There was not as much CCTV as there is now, no mobile phones. It would be easy to slip out of society.

“Everywhere we go, I look out for him, and listen for his voice. He had a very distinctive voice, I would still recognise it.”

Cambridgeshire police told Linda that the case was being discontinued last Tuesday, leaving her devastated.

She said: “We got a phone call on Friday, where they said they wanted to come and speak to us, but they would not tell us why.

“With it being so close to the 30th anniversary we thought they might be doing an appeal.

“But they said because there was no evidence, they would be closing the case and passing it to the coroner.

“We were devastated. I sat crying when they had left. I was angry and upset. Emotions were running very high.

“We asked if it could be classed as a missing person/murder enquiry, and they have said they will ask about changing it.

“We don’t want a death certificate to be issued because it seems final. We have not given up hope he is alive.

“It seems the police just wanted justice - but what we want is answers.

“We think Andrew, his family, and the Ramsey community have been let down.

“It is so difficult not knowing what has happened to him.”

Linda has been using social media to keep the appeal for Andrew going, with her posts shared by scores of people as far afield as Texas.

She said: “Someone must know something about what has happened to him.

“I am going to keep the appeal going . He was always there for me when I needed him, now I need to be there for him.

I’ve done so much, I want to carry it on. I need to carry it on.

“Our mum died 11 years ago, and she did not know what happened to her son.

“I just want someone to tell us what happened to him - or Andrew to let us know he is alive, and happy.”

To keep Andrew’s memory alive, Linda and husband Paul have set up a geocache site in the place Andrew was last seen.

Paul said: “Lots of people go and visit it, and some people go on the anniversary he disappeared. They leave lovely messages, which really gives you a lump in the throat.

“We couldn’t put flowers there because it would seem final.”

A Cambridgeshire police spokesman said: “I can confirm the case has now been passed to the cold case team as investigating officers have exhausted all lines of enquiry.

“If new evidence comes to light then the case may be reopened.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101.

Andrew was last seen on 28 September 1990, in Factory Bank, Ramsey, in a light blue Ford Cortina estate car eating some takeaway food, possibly fish and chips. Detectives believe he was killed that evening with a shotgun at a nearby garage called Mongrel Cars, which no longer exists.

Andrew, then of Tweed Street, Huntingdon, was wearing overalls, a khaki jumper, jeans and trainers and was described as 5’8”, of medium build, with mousey blond, curly, shoulder-length hair and various tattoos.

He was reported missing by his pregnant girlfriend the next day.

When police opened the cold case investigation five years ago, DS Gordon Blair said the ‘prime suspect’ had died, but added they believed more than one person was involved.

Searches have taken place across the Ramsey area over the 30 years since Andrew went missing - with DS Blair saying there were even rumours Andrew’s body had been buried under Wembley Stadium - but the circumstances of his disappearance remain a mystery.