GREENHITHE: Appeal to mystery person who named 1993 schoolgirl 'killer' (From News Shopper)

GREENHITHE: Appeal to mystery person who named 1993 schoolgirl 'killer'

12:00pm Friday 19th March 2010 in

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“STOP being a coward and come forward” - a father’s message to the mystery person who claims to know who killed his daughter.

In February a handwritten sign claiming to name the killer of Claire Tiltman, who was stabbed to death yards from her home in Greenhithe aged 16 in 1993, was placed at her memorial site.

Kent police’s cold case investigation team have traced the man named on the sign and say he is co-operating with their investigation into Claire’s death but has not been arrested.

However, detectives have not been able to identify the person who wrote the message and they, along with Claire’s father Cliff, are urging the mystery signwriter to come forward.

Mr Tiltman said: “Whoever wrote the sign should stop being a coward and come forward to speak to the police.

“If they have information that could help catch my daughter’s killer they should be telling it to the police, not writing it on signs.”

Retired plumbed Mr Tiltman, 60, still lives in the house in Woodward Terrace he shared with Claire and his wife of 36-years Linda, who died of cancer in March 2008.

He said: “Whoever wrote the sign is playing with my hopes, because they’re dangling the possibility Claire’s killer could be caught in front of me.

“The person who killed Claire also took Linda away from me, because I’m convinced that if Claire was still here, Linda would still be here.

“So whoever wrote the sign should think about what this family has been through and do the right thing and contact the police directly.”

A News Shopper reporter found the sign, which also described the type of car the alleged killer drove and the company he worked for, among flowers at the memorial site in London Road on February 3.

Since then the fresh lead in the investigation into Claire’s death has been reported in the media across the country, but nobody has been able to provide a clue to who wrote the sign.

A spokeswoman for the police cold case team said: “We are urging the person who left a card alleging the name of Claire Tiltman's murderer to come forward.

“The person is being asked to call the cold case team in confidence on 01634 884048.”

Claire was on her way to see a friend when she was stabbed 40 times and left for dead in an alleyway off London Road on January 18, 1993.

Mr Tiltman said: “I have been living with the pain of not knowing who killed Claire for so long. I just want to know who it was. I just want justice for my daughter.”

If you have information which could help, contact the cold case investigation team on 01634 884048.

Do you know who wrote the sign? Call the newsroom on 01689 885721 or email mpurton@london.newsquest.co.uk