Shropshire murder mystery deepens

Murder victim, Trevor Bradley

Fifteen years ago the body of Trevor Bradley was discovered in his burned out car near the village of Melverley in North Shropshire.

Since then West Mercia Police have been trying to find out what happened to him and why he was murdered.

In the latest development in the case his body has been exhumed from Ludlow cemetery.

It is believed further tests are to be carried out on Mr Bradley and his family are being kept informed.

Det Insp Andy Parsons, who is in charge of the cold case review, said it was expected that the body would be reburied on Friday, 17 July.

For 13 years investigations into the murder of Trevor Bradley stalled, but then, two years go, detectives re-opened the case.

Mr Bradley met his death in an horrific manner and his family deserve to see those responsible for his death brought to justice Det Insp Andy Parsons, West Mercia Police

At the time, Det Insp Parsons said: "We are currently working on the strong possibility that there was more than one person involved in the death and that they were well known to Mr Bradley."

The 53-year-old dealer travelled across the county buying and selling antiques, jewellery and bric-a-brac. His body was found in his white Vauxhall Nova in a field between the hamlets of Crosslanes and Kinnerley, on April, 27 1994.

The vehicle had been seen on fire earlier in the day at the spot where it was found.

Police said Mr Bradley had been seen in Monkmoor and Shrewsbury town centre the day before he died and there were unconfirmed sightings of him at Leominster bingo hall later that day.

'Bad deal?'

Soon after the cold case investigation began in 2007, a reward of £10,000 was offered to try and persuade potential witnesses to come forward.

"I am convinced there are a number of people who have key information that could help the investigation team. I would ask those people to examine their consciences now and come forward," Det Insp Parsons said.

The exhumation site at Ludlow

Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire when the cold case investigation began, Amos Bradley, one of Mr Bradley's 16 brothers and five sisters, said he was well known locally and had regular customers in the area.

He had never heard anyone speaking badly of his brother and could not understand why anyone would want to murder him.

"Whether it's gone through a bad deal, or whether he done summat dirty on some deal, I can't see him doing that, how he's made enemies, I don't know." he said.

Amos said he was sure that no-one locally was responsible: "I don't think it's happened in this town. It's happened somewhere else. He's got involved with something in another town.

"Within a day, knowing this town, we'd have got know about it."