DNA break in murder committed n 1975

POLICE investigating the murder of an 11-year-old girl nearly 28 years ago yesterday revealed they had made a DNA breakthrough in the case.

Rochdale schoolgirl Lesley Molseed was stabbed 12 times and sexually assaulted after leaving her Greater Manchester home on Sunday, October 5, 1975, on a shopping errand for her mother.

Three days later, her body was discovered on open moorland above the A672 Oldham to Halifax Road in Ripponden, West Yorkshire.

Last night, detectives made a fresh appeal on the BBC Crimewatch UK programme in a bid to catch the killer. Officers from West Yorkshire Police yesterday revealed they are in a position to eliminate people from their

inquiry using a DNA profile they believe was left at the scene of the crime by the schoolgirl's killer.

The discovery of DNA came as a surprise as most of the evidence had been disposed of in the 1970s and just a few fragments remained in storage.

Detective Chief Superintendent Max Mclean appealed to the public for assistance in identifying the killer. "It may be that someone has harboured a suspicion for 27 years that a friend, relative or acquaintance could have killed this little girl.

"We now have the ability, through the development of scientific methods, to eliminate these people once and for all," he said. Lesley's mother, April, spoke about the loss of her daughter.

"When we heard the police had found DNA we were absolutely elated, it's like all our Christmases rolled into one it gives us great hope."

On Lesley's disappearance, she added: "After two hours, I knew she was gone I could feel it in the whole of my body. And I never lost that feeling, it just grew stronger and stronger and I thought 'I'm never going to see her again.'"

After a major investigation, Stefan Kizsko, a tax clerk from Rochdale, was convicted of her murder but following an appeal he was released from prison in 1992. He died shortly afterwards.