Peter Miller: Unprecedented campaign to crack Norfolk’s unsolved crimes starts today

Great Yarmouth muder victim Peter Miller. Pictured: Peter Miller's mother and sister at a press conference. (Image: Archant)

Over the coming weeks and months the EDP is to take a renewed look at some of Norfolk police's most serious unsolved cases in a bid to help bring justice – and closure – to those families and friends who have had loved ones murdered, attacked or taken from them in the most horrific of circumstances. It is hoped the campaign, the unrivalled coverage it will provide – and in some cases the reward on offer – will help prompt those with vital clues to come forward and tell the police so these crimes can finally be solved.

Norfolk's chief constable, Phil Gormley, who is backing the campaign, said: 'We are very fortunate to live in a place where serious violent crime is still viewed as extraordinary and shocking.

'However, when crimes of this nature do occur it's important we do all we can to solve them, to catch violent offenders and bring justice to long-suffering victims of crime and their families. Undetected crimes of this nature remain under constant review and I am very happy to support this fresh approach, which sees Norfolk Constabulary work to seek justice for victims and protect Norfolk's communities.'

The first case being looked at is the 29-year-old mystery of the murder of Peter Miller, 24, whose body was found in the kitchen of his home in Camden Place, off Blackfriars Road in Great Yarmouth.

His brother, Anthony, found Peter at around 7.45pm on Sunday, December 9, 1984, although he had last been seen alive earlier in the afternoon by his neighbour, after he had helped her with some household repairs.

His death had been as a result of a single stab wound to his chest and, until recently, the suspected murder weapon had never been found.

However, fresh evidence received by the Norfolk and Suffolk Joint Major Investigation Team led to the discovery of a sharpened implement which could have been used in the attack. Police will not reveal exactly where in Great Yarmouth the weapon was found, but it is thought to have been hidden for almost 30 years. It is being examined to see if it contains evidence linking it to the murder.

Det Insp Gary Bloomfield, senior investigating officer from the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team, welcomed the new development.

He said: 'This is an exciting new development in a historic investigation and underlines our commitment to resolving our unsolved cases. Fresh information will always be assessed and we will take the necessary action to drive the investigation forward. I am confident whoever killed Peter was from the Great Yarmouth area and somebody from that community will have knowledge or suspicions as to who the murderer is.'

Det Insp Bloomfield said the discovery of a weapon in the inquiry was 'key' but could not add much more detail about it at this time.

He said: 'We had some significant information come into the inquiry last year which led us to review it

and part of that was around the potential location of the murder weapon.

'We conducted some searches and we've recovered a weapon which was consistent with the intelligence which came in and that's currently in the process of being forensically examined.'

The case now has about 10 officers working on it in comparison with some other cold cases which can have just one or two investigating.

But as important as the finding of the weapon could be, Det Insp Bloomfield insisted people living in the Great Yarmouth area still held the key to finding out who was responsible for Peter's death.

He said: 'I appeal directly to that person to unburden yourself and contact Norfolk police in confidence so Peter's killer can be found.

'I'm confident his peer group back in 1984 will have information that is yet to be known to the police and they are the people that I'm really appealing to, to come forward and speak to us.

'There will be people out there that have shouldered this burden for 29 years thinking it will go away but it will never go away – it needs to be resolved for the family.'

'It's fair to say there's been an exciting development in the case in recent months and we need to take the investigation forward and that process is two-fold.

'First, from the work we're doing with the police and secondly with the support and assistance from members of the public within Great Yarmouth.'

Det Insp Bloomfield said he was in support of the Norfolk Unsolved campaign, which he hoped would generate even more leads for officers working on the case. He said: 'There's a need for a conduit to exist between Norfolk police and the community and this partnership with Archant is an excellent initiative to get the message across in these unsolved cases.'

Police believe that someone who committed an offence of this gravity would have been involved in criminality before his murder.

But the motive for the killing is still something which officers are working to establish as part of their ongoing inquiries.

There was no sign of a break-in and the doors were unlocked.

Peter's brother, Tony, who found the body, reported a strange smell in the air when he entered and a CS aerosol canister was found inside the house lying on the floor.

It is believed that the canister had been used by either his murderer or Peter as he was being assaulted.

Despite investigations in 1984 and 1985 and a number of arrests, no one was ever charged with the murder.

Several reviews failed to reveal further lines of enquiry until

recently when fresh information

was received and officers are now actively pursuing them.

Anyone who has information regarding Peter Miller's death should contact the Joint Norfolk and Suffolk Major Investigation Team on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.