It's the verdict she has waited more than 30 years for.
But tortured Sharon Henderson feels no sense of relief or closure after seeing the man who killed her little girl convicted.
David Boyd is facing spending the rest of his life in prison after a jury at Newcastle Crown Court found him guilty of murdering seven-year-old Nikki Allan in Sunderland.
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The 1992 killing had remained one of the North East's most notorious unsolved crimes until Boyd, now 55, was snared by DNA.
In the three decades since Nikki's death, her anguished mum has fought tirelessly for justice, running endless campaigns, seeking help from private investigators and even carrying out her own detective work herself to pass information on to police.
But Sharon, who has always believed more than one person was responsible for Nikki's death, does not feel any joy after Friday's verdict.
And because, despite denying being responsible for Nikki's murder Boyd gave no evidence or explanation in court Sharon insists her fight for answers is far from over.
The 56-year-old said: "People are asking me how I feel, but I don't know how I feel. I'm still numb. I still can't believe it, but it doesn't make any difference, it doesn't help me. I don't believe Boyd is the only one involved.
"Because he didn't give evidence there is not explanation. I don't feel like I have got the full story. But I don't think he's ever going to speak. I still don't know what the truth is. There's something not right.
"I'll still carry on fighting. It's definitely not over. "
And Sharon added: "He's a monster. They should bring back the death penalty."
The horrific details of schoolgirl Nikki's murder were laid bare as Boyd, who lived in the same block of flats as his victim, stood trial for her murder.
Jurors were told how on the night Nikki disappeared, on October 7, 1992, the youngster was seen “skipping to her death” behind a man.
She had been lured away by her killer who took her to the derelict Old Exchange building.
Piercing screams and unnerving noises were then heard from the area of the building.
Meanwhile a frantic search was launched for Nikki after her family realised she was missing, with most local people joining in - although Boyd didn’t, claiming he needed an early night to do community service the following day.
The following morning her shoes and coat were spotted outside the Old Exchange building, and her body was found in a dark corner in the building.
The court heard Nikki had been put through a 6ft high window, smashed over the head with a brick before being stabbed in the chest dozens of times. She was then dragged by her ankles from the room where the attack happened down the the basement where she was dumped.
Sharon heard some of the horrifying facts about her daughter's death for the first time while sitting in court.
"The only thing I was told over the years was about the brick and the stabbing. But all the rest of the details came out in court," she said. "There were things I didn't know.
"The first time I saw that was in court. I was shocked. You could tell he didn't care. He's not human.
"I didn't look at him in court. I couldn't look him in the eyes because I didn't want him to look at me and see my pain. I need to grieve for my bairn. I didn't want him to see my grief because that's my grief for my bairn."
Boy was arrested at his Stockton home in 2018 after advances in DNA techniques led to a breakthrough in the case when the killer's DNA was found on Nikki’s clothes in areas where he would have touched her to lift her through the window.
But Sharon, who did her own investigations to track down any man who lived in the flats that might be involved, said she had suspicions about Boyd for a number of years.
And although she did not initially know his name she went on a mission to track him down, at one point even moving to a different part of Sunderland to be near the woman who had been his partner.
Sharon eventually learned the name of her suspect.
"I went down to his house the day he got arrested," she added. "The families were all crying. They said they used to let their bairns play with his dog."
During the trial jurors were shown footage of Boyd's arrest and his police interviews.
And Sharon says she continues to study the videos, and the picture of the murderer released by police.
"I just keep looking at that picture and he's got that smirk on his face," she said. "And I have been studying that video from when he was arrested.
"I keep trying to study him. I have been doing that sitting in bed this morning. You could tell he knew that knock was going to come on the door.
"You can see that he hasn't got any remorse on his face."
Sharon, who believes police failings resulted in Boyd evading capture for so long is now calling for a public inquiry into the case.
But she has thanked the jury members for giving her family some sense of justice.
"It's just the injustice of it all. I have been fighting the system and not being believed for 30 years. I have got to carry on because I want the police to be looked into. Because of the failing in the case my whole family has suffered.
"I do feel happy for my daughters and my grandchildren, because they have had a terrible life. It's not a normal life. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"The jury are just normal people from normal lives, it must have been heart-breaking for them."
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