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A horrific murder cold case is being reviewed 35 years after a 14-year-old schoolgirl was strangled yards from her home.

Lisa Jane Hession was killed on December 8, 1984, with her attacker gripping her T-shirt around her neck with one hand and smothering her mouth with the other.

Her body was found by a dog walker and his 13-year-old son laying up against the back gate of a house in Leigh, Greater Manchester.

Now, more than three decades on, Officers from Greater Manchester Police's Cold Case unit have been interviewing witnesses as part of a review of the case, reports the Manchester Evening News (MEN).

The last place Lisa was seen alive was Buck Street, which leads to the alleway where she was found murdered.

She had been just 100 yards from her home and safety in Bonnywell Road.

(Image: Manchester Evening News WS)

In 2017, the MEN revealed in the three decades since the killing just one person has been arrested on suspicion of Lisa’s murder - and he is now dead.

The suspect was interviewed within days of her death. He was released on bail and no action was taken against him. He died in 2005.

Partial DNA was recovered from the scene. In 2011, with advances in technology, men in Leigh and Wigan were swabbed. But no match was found.

A reasonable conclusion is that the killer is dead or has never been in trouble since.



Head of GMP’s Cold Case Unit, Martin Bottomley, said: “This case has been subject to a number of reviews since 1984.

(Image: Manchester Evening Newws)

“The reviews have concentrated on using advances in forensic techniques and investigating all information provided to GMP by members of the public.

“Sadly, the case still remains undetected, but will always be open until Lisa’s killer is brought to justice and any information received will be followed up appropriately.

“If anyone has any information that may assist the police with their investigation please ring the Cold Case Review Unit on 0161 856 5978.”

GMP have not released any further details of the investigation for operational reasons.

On the day she died Lisa had been to a Christmas party at a friend’s house in Leigh Road, about two miles away.

Her mother, Christine, had allowed her to go on the condition she was back for 10.30pm.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

Lisa, a Bedford High School pupil, left the party at about 10.15pm, kissing her boyfriend, Craig Newell, then 16, goodbye at the gate.

She walked through the town centre and onto St Helens Road, before she was seen turning into Buck Street. At that point she was a minute walk from her front door.

But someone ghosted behind her and bundled or marched her into that alley, away from the windows of the estate’s houses.

Police offered a £50,000 reward two years ago to try and solve the case.

(Image: MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS)

In the four months before he death a man attacked three young girls in the Leigh area. In each case sex was the motive. But Cold Case officers have no firm forensic link between the attacks and Lisa's killing.

In January 2017 Christine died, aged 69, after a short battle with cancer, without seeing justice for her daughter.

On the night her daughter died she had gone out looking for her when Lisa was 15 minutes late returning from a party.

She walked past the end of the alley where she lay three times.

(Image: Manchester Evening News)

A website has been set up by local people in a bid to help police find breakthrough evidence.

Andrea Ashcroft Aldred, who knew Lisa, and Ryan Daly have set up the social media group Let's get justice for Lisa Jane Hession and her mum Christine.

Ryan said: "This tragic case happened six years before I was born. But I was well aware of it growing up, as it happened on the estate where I am originally from.

"I always felt really sorry for Lisa’s mum Christine, living round the corner where the murder happened, and never having closure for her only child. Its awful how Christine died without ever getting closure for her daughter.

(Image: MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS)

" Facebook has been a massive help towards the raising awareness campaign, for Lisa. We have over a thousand members now in the group, and some of the posts raising awareness about Lisa, have had over a thousand shares.

I just hope our campaign helps find the person after all these years. Surely someone out there must know something. Me and Andrea promoted the case as much as we can. We won’t give up. We hope it will help catch the person."

Andrea said: "Lisa was mine and my older sister's friend, we all grew up together as kids.

"I often think of Lisa and Christine, and the fact this case is still unsolved after all these years, it still haunts me.

"Lisa was a popular and beautiful person, and I just hope and pray our campaign helps solve this case, after all these years. It’s time Lisa's killer was brought to justice. Someone out there must know something or suspect who did it."