Missing girl murder inquiry

Sarah Benford went missing over three years ago

Detectives have said the hunt for a missing Northampton teenager is now a murder inquiry.

Northamptonshire police are convinced Sarah Benford, who went missing in April 2000 when she was 14-years-old, is dead.

On Monday officers said despite no body being found there is no evidence to suggest Sarah is still alive.

Detectives have investigated 190 possible sightings of the teenager across the country, but believe she was too vulnerable to have survived on her own for more than three years.

A statement from Northamptonshire Police listed the reasons officers have turned the missing person case into a murder inquiry.

My heart wants Sarah to be alive, but my head tells me she is dead Detective chief inspector Charles Moffat

It said: "Sarah went missing with little preparation - her rucksack and diaries were left behind and she had only the clothes she was wearing.

"Sarah would have needed help and support to be able to survive.

"Police cannot believe that, at 14, Sarah could have developed an independent life."

It adds: "There are sightings of Sarah until April 19, 2000 - after that, the trail cools.

"There is little evidence of Sarah surviving beyond two to three months after she went missing."

Sarah went missing from Welford House children's home in Northampton in April 2000.

Police released a picture of Sarah when she had blond hair

Her mother, Vicki, saw her on the evening of 6 April 2000 as she left work and there were unconfirmed sightings of Sarah in Kettering the following week.

Other possible sightings of the teenager were also reported to police and three people have been arrested during the course of the investigation.

A 29-year-old man from Kettering was arrested in connection with the supply of class A drugs to Sarah and is on police bail; a 54-year-old man from South Wales was arrested on suspicion of Sarah's abduction and also remains on police bail; and a 37-year-old woman from Kent, has been released without charge.

Detective chief inspector Charles Moffat said he hoped the launch of a murder inquiry would help focus the public's attention on the case.

Operation Yacht 25,000 police hours spent on the enquiry 2,500 documents in the incident room A cost of £400,000 2,300 lines of enquiry followed

"Now that our investigation is one of murder, I hope people who may have believed that Sarah had simply moved away and was living happily somewhere else will now appreciate the seriousness of this case and realise we are dealing with the murder of a 14-year-old girl.

"It is vital anyone who knows anything about Sarah's disappearance realises that this is the tragic case of a young girl's murder and contacts the incident room.

"My heart wants Sarah to be alive, but my head tells me she is dead."

The inquiry will focus on 36 people who were significant in Sarah's life when she went missing and will be conducted by a team of 30 officers dedicated to the case, called Operation Yacht.

It has also not been ruled out that a stranger could be responsible for Sarah's disappearance.