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In June 1984, 17-year-old Melanie Road was murdered as she walked home from a nightclub in the beautiful city of Bath, England.
The investigation became Britain’s biggest manhunt, yet despite 96 arrests, her killer was never found.
Twenty five years later, Det Sgt Julie Mackay joined Avon & Somerset Police’s cold case unit.
‘I always knew I would find Melanie’s killer,’ she says.
It would take seven further years of trying. The investigation saw incredible highs and lows. And as Julie fought for promotion, battled personal crises, she built a deep friendship with Melanie’s inspirational mother, Jean.
The story ends with a courtroom showdown between Jean Road and her daughter’s killer - who Julie brought to justice three decades after the murder.
The story is the subject of the award-winning* book Julie and I have written about the case: To Hunt a Killer.
In this interview, I ask Julie about the investigation, the rollercoaster that is a complex inquiry, her drive to find Melanie’s killer and her adoration for Jean Road.
You can get copies in the USA here or in the UK here.
* Julie and I were winners of the True Crime Awards’ ‘Best New Author’ and were shortlisted for a CWA ALCS Gold Dagger award for best book.
To Hunt a Killer