A POLICE appeal has been launched on the 20th anniversary of the murder of a 43-year-old Wath man.
The body of Brian Metcalfe was found on October 14, 2001 under a bridge on Station Road, Wath-upon-Dearne.
Detectives believe Brian was on a night out in pubs before he was attacked and a post mortem revealed he may have died as early as October 12.
Brian was well-known within the community and detectives believe that information can be found within the Wath community.
Dave Stopford, head of South Yorkshire Police’s major incident review team said: “We remain committed to bringing the person responsible for Brian’s death to justice.
“We believe that the local community holds key information that might help us understand what happened to Brian in the hours leading up to his death.
“I’d like to specifically appeal to anyone who thinks they may have been out in Wath between Friday, October 12 and Sunday, October 14, 2001 who may have seen Brian, to contact us.
“Were you out near Station Road that weekend? Did you see Brian, who was 5ft 8ins tall and of a stocky build? He was wearing a black leather jacket and black denim jeans.
“It may seem challenging to recall details from twenty years ago, but no matter how small or insignificant you think the information you hold is, it could prove vital to our investigation and could help provide Brian’s family with much needed closure.
“Twenty years without answers has been absolute agony for them - please if you hold information, it is not too late to do the right thing after all this time and come forward.”
Brian’s sister, Susan Butcher, said: “Twenty years on, still not a day goes by that we do not think of Brian; we continue to grieve for him.
“Brian was incredibly loved by us all and we miss him deeply.
“Please give us the chance to heal and have closure by providing us with the answers we have craved for two decades.
“If you have any information, please get in touch.”
Anyone with information is urged to call South Yorkshire Police 101.
