A coroner has ruled that 15-year-old Mark Billington was unlawfully killed, more than 42 years after police initially dismissed his death as suicide and discarded vital evidence. The ruling comes after a new inquest granted by the High Court, following years of campaigning by Mark's family who always believed he was murdered.
Mark vanished from his home in Yardley, Birmingham, in September 1984. His body was discovered nine weeks later, hanging from a tree in a secluded area near Solihull. Initially, detectives concluded he had taken his own life, and an open verdict was recorded at his inquest in 1988. West Midlands Police reopened the case as a murder investigation in 2002, but by then, the rope found around Mark's neck and some of his clothing had been discarded, hampering any potential DNA analysis.
During the new inquest, pathologist Dr. Brett Lockyer testified that the rope was tied in an "intricate three-knot system" and that it was improbable Mark could have tied such knots himself, especially given a noted weakness on the left side of his body. Senior Birmingham and Solihull Coroner Louise Hunt stated it was "extremely unlikely" Mark could have harmed himself in the manner he was found, concluding that he was murdered and that there was no evidence he took his own life. "I think it's right that the record has been put straight," Hunt said.
Mark's sister, Cheryl Jeyes, expressed anger that it took so long for the truth to be formally acknowledged, stating that her mother died two years prior without ever knowing what happened to her son. "Why did it take 42 years for the truth about our brother's death to be formally recognised?" Jeyes asked. "Why was our family left to fight for so long? And why after everything our family has endured have we still not received an apology from West Midlands Police?"
Mark's family have long suspected he may have been a victim of convicted killer Brian Field, who died in prison in 2024. Field, who lived near the Billington family, was jailed for the 1968 murder of 14-year-old Roy Tutill and was also linked to the disappearances of the "Milk Carton Kids." When Mark was found, his trousers were pulled down to his ankles, but decomposition prevented a determination on whether he had been sexually assaulted, drugged, or poisoned.
West Midlands Police acknowledged "failings" in the original investigation, including delays in finding Mark's body and the destruction of evidence. A force spokesperson stated their focus remains on justice for Mark and that they are ready to follow up on any new information. The family continues to appeal for anyone with information to come forward, stating, "Our brother can't speak for himself, but we will never stop speaking for him."