The family of a murdered teenager has released photographs of their "much-loved" daughter in a bid to identify her killer.
Natalie Pearman was aged 16 when her body was found dumped in a lay-by on the outskirts of Norwich at 5.30am on November 20, 1992, by a lorry driver.
She had been a sex worker in Norwich’s red light district, where she was last seen four hours earlier. A post-mortem showed her cause of death was by asphyxiation.
Since then, police have interviewed more than 4,000 people but the suspect remains at large.
Now, Natalie’s younger sister Georgina has released never-before-seen pictures ahead of the 30th anniversary of her death.
She said: “Natalie was only 16 when she died. She was just a child.
“Someone somewhere knows something about her murder. 30 years is a long time, it’s long enough and it’s time for someone to tell the police the truth.
"Even if the person responsible for her death has died, we just want to know what happened. It’s been amazing looking at these photos again, she looks so happy.
"For all the negativity often associated with her name over the years, Natalie is happy in these photos and that’s nice to see for me, my brothers and sister. It’s also heartbreaking.
“Natalie was so much more than how she died. She loved horses and horse-riding, she was an incredibly gifted artist and a much-loved sister, daughter, and friend.
"When something like this happens, it affects everything and everybody. Natalie had family and friends, and her death has overshadowed all our lives.
“Nobody can take away the 30 years of pain my family has been through but it’s time to give us some closure.”
Georgina, now 35, was only five when Natalie died. She still lives in Norfolk, with her husband and their two young sons.
The 25-anniversary appeal in 2017 received an encouraging response with Norfolk Police receiving 56 telephone calls and emails.
As a result, 11 new DNA profiles were taken from men whose names had been put forward as being potentially involved.
Another 30 names of interest were confirmed as already on the national database and were known to the enquiry.
Officers have also revisited original witnesses and several new ones who did not come forward in 1992.
Sadly, neither police enquiries nor the names put forward have identified the person responsible for Natalie’s murder.
Norfolk Police’s Cold Case Manager, Andy Guy, said: “Natalie was little more than a child when she was murdered and her family deserve to know what happened, and who was responsible for her death.
“I’d ask anyone with information that may help explain the circumstances surrounding her death to share this with us.
“We have what we believe is the DNA from the man that killed Natalie. One call with one name could resolve this case.
“There must be people who know or strongly suspect who was responsible, and I’m sure that plays heavily on their conscience.
“I would also be interested to hear of any rumours that circulated regarding Natalie following her murder. Please do the right thing and help bring closure to Natalie’s family.”
Anyone with information is urged to contact Norfolk Constabulary’s cold case team by emailing unsolvedcasereviews@norfolk.police.uk or telephoning 01953 423819.
Alternatively, they can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
