Cleveland Police have arrested a second man in connection with the unsolved murder of 17-year-old Donna Keogh, who vanished from Middlesbrough in April 1998. The 62-year-old suspect was arrested in the Manchester area and is currently in police custody being interviewed.
This latest arrest follows the apprehension of a 64-year-old man from the Leeds area earlier this year, who was also arrested on suspicion of Donna Keogh's murder. He remains on police bail pending further inquiries.
Officers believe Donna was last seen in central Middlesbrough on April 28, 1998. Her body has never been found, and authorities strongly suspect she was murdered shortly after her disappearance. Donna was known to have travelled to Leeds during 1998.
Donna was reported missing on May 30, 1998, by her family after regular contact was broken. At the time of her disappearance, she was living with her cousins in Middlesbrough. She was seen on the day she vanished in the Hartington Road, Aske Road, and Bow Street areas of the city.
The case was officially deemed a murder investigation in 2016 when police reopened the investigation. In 2018, a disused allotment on the Saltersgill estate, approximately two miles from where Donna was last seen, was excavated. The five-day search yielded no results, with the only human remains found dating back to medieval times.
Deputy senior investigating officer, Detective Inspector Evan Kirtley, stated that the force is in close contact with Donna's family, who have endured nearly 30 years of uncertainty. "Somebody out there knows what happened and could tell us, in order to give the family some comfort and peace, after all this time," Kirtley said. He urged anyone with information to come forward directly or anonymously.
Donna's father, Brian Keogh, died at the age of 69 last July without learning the fate of his daughter. He had been a vocal advocate, leading campaigns to discover what happened to Donna, described as a 'bubbly and ambitious' girl. His wife, Shirley Keogh, expressed that her husband's death was devastating but vowed to continue their search for answers. She noted his determination to keep the investigation active, even in his final days.
Crimestoppers is offering a £20,000 reward for information leading to the resolution of the case.