The family of a 17-year-old girl with the “kindest of hearts” who was brutally murdered 30 years ago have issued a desperate appeal to finally catch her killer.
Sabrina Brett’s mother died “heartbroken” knowing her daughter’s killer had never been punished after the teenager’s naked body was found in a Milton Keynes canal on 11 May 1995.
Post-mortem examinations revealed she had died a number of days before she was found at Three Locks, Stoke Hammond, having suffered injuries to her head, face and neck.
The teenager, who grew up 22 miles away in Luton, had been the victim of child sexual exploitation in the months leading up to her murder.
Speaking out on the thirtieth anniversary of her death, Ms Brett’s brother Joseph Brett said: “Sabrina was just 17 years old when she was brutally murdered and taken from us in the most horrific way back in 1995.
“She was so bright and cheeky and full of life. She had an infectious energy that could fill a room and light it up from corner to corner. She had the kindest of hearts and always put others first, and like any teenager, still figuring out who she was. Sabrina was a daughter, a sister, a young girl who never got the future she deserved.
“Sabrina had been exposed to things no child should ever have to face. Sabrina was a victim of sexual exploitation and heartbreakingly, taken advantage of at such a young age. She deserved care, not cruelty.
“Nearly 30 years have passed, and the person who did this to her has never been brought to justice. We can’t describe the pain of living all these years without answers.
“What is even more painful is knowing that our mum passed away recently, heartbroken, knowing that the person who killed Sabrina is still out there and walking free. She died carrying that grief and that grief weighed on her heart every single day of her life.”
A £20,000 reward has been offered by charity Crimestoppers for information which leads to her killer being brought to justice.
Ms Brett had left home three months before her death, but her father contacted police after she failed to make contact for a week and he heard radio reports about the discovery of a body.
Head of Thames Valley Police’s Major Crime Investigation Review Team, principal investigator Peter Beirne, said the force is particularly looking to speak to her friends in order to “build up a picture of her life, in the weeks leading up to her death”.
He said: “We know that in the months leading up to her murder, she was the subject of child sexual exploitation.
“On this, the anniversary of her death, I am appealing for help in identifying who was responsible for both her death and her exploitation.”
Mr Brett added: “We are speaking out now because someone out there knows something. Maybe you’ve held it in for years. Maybe you were afraid back then. But time has passed, and now is the time to do what’s right.
“Please — if you know anything, even the smallest detail, we’re begging you to come forward. Maybe you saw something, heard a name, heard a story, maybe you’ve carried a piece of this puzzle for years. It’s not too late. We’re pleading with you: please come forward.
“Please help us get justice for Sabrina and bring peace to our family. A very dangerous person, or people, are still on the loose and could commit further crimes against other women or girls if they are not caught.
“If you know anything at all, no matter how small it might seem, please come forward. Your courage could finally give Sabrina the justice she was denied.”
Crimestoppers can be can be contacted anonymously on 0800 555 111.
